Electricity price rises to 98 seniti per kWh [1]
Thursday, May 5, 2011 - 22:51. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
The price of electricity will go up by 13.13 seniti per kWh, from 84.86 seniti per kWh to 98 seniti per kWh through out Tonga, starting with the meter reading for May at the beginning of June.
A rise in the price of electricity has been on hold since the end of February when the Prime Minister deferred the increase proposed by Tonga Power for March billing.
The Prime Minister was concerned about the high increase when the economy is in a depressed state.
Today the Chief Executive of the Tonga Power Ltd announced the new price hike, and also that the Prime Minister and Cabinet has approved a short term Government Policy Obligation (GPO) grant to subsidize the increase in electricity.
"The GPO will provide a 11 seniti per kWh rebate for the first 100 kWh of electricity consumed per month for all consumers in Tonga."
The 11 seniti per kWh rebate for the first 100 kWh of electricity consumed per month will be applied for the next three months, of June , July and August.
"All consumption over 100kw per month will be billed at 98 seniti per kWh."
So the new price of electricity at the beginning of June for consumers who use 100 kWh or less per month will be an increase of 2.14 seniti per kWh, from 84.86 to 87 seniti per kWh.
Consumers who use more than 100 kWh per month will be billed 87 seniti for the first 100 kWh and 98 seniti for the rest.
It is understood that over 60 per cent of all Electricity consumers in Tonga use less than 100 kWh per month.