PUCSL Yet to Decide on New Electricity Tariff Hike Proposal Amid Rising Costs

A senior official of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) says no decision has yet been taken on a new proposal to further increase electricity tariffs, despite growing concerns over rising costs.

The official stated that since electricity tariffs were already increased by 10% effective April 1, any additional revision would require strict procedural approval under the PUCSL Act, including the mandatory process of reviewing the proposal and obtaining public feedback. Without this, formal consideration of the new request cannot proceed.

It has been reported that National System Operations Private Limited has proposed a further tariff increase of around 15% for the second quarter of 2026 (April to June). If approved, this would push the overall increase in electricity costs to as much as 25% when combined with the earlier adjustment.

Authorities have cited several contributing factors behind the proposal, including reduced rainfall affecting hydropower generation, lower reservoir levels, and rising fuel costs. The proposal is also expected to generate approximately Rs. 3,100 crore in additional revenue.

Meanwhile, the electricity tariff revision that took effect on April 1 has already impacted consumers across different usage categories:

Households using less than 30 units saw an increase of about 4.3%

Consumers using 31–90 units recorded increases between 6.9% and 7.2%

Those using 91–180 units faced a rise of around 7.2%

The highest usage category, exceeding 180 units, saw an increase of approximately 25.3%

The PUCSL official emphasized that no further action will be taken until the formal review process is completed, including public consultations as required by law.