Wednesday Oct 15, 2025
Wednesday Oct 15, 2025
Wednesday, 15 October 2025 00:24 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Electricity regulator, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), yesterday confirmed that electricity tariffs will remain unchanged for the final quarter of 2025.
Announcing the decision at a media briefing, PUCSL Chairman Prof. K.L. Chandralal said the Commission reached a unanimous conclusion after a detailed review of economic conditions and public submissions.
“The purpose of this conference is to officially announce the tariff decision for the last quarter of the year. The Commission (met on Monday and) made a collective decision after considering all factors and stakeholder feedback. We decided not to approve the increase proposed by the Ceylon Electricity Board and will maintain the existing tariff structure for the next three months,” Prof. Chandralal said.
The CEB had earlier proposed a 6.8% hike in electricity tariffs, which was evaluated by the regulator along with input from nationwide public consultations before being rejected.
The CEB proposed to raise tariffs to offset a projected revenue shortfall of Rs. 7.7 billion for the quarter. It later revised the estimate to a Rs. 20.8 billion deficit.
However, after evaluating the proposal through staff analysis and a nationwide public consultation, the PUCSL determined that a tariff increase was not justified.
The Commission said the existing tariff structure will remain effective from midnight today until the next revision. It noted that electricity tariffs have already been revised five times between 2024 and 2025, with current rates now 44% lower than those in January 2024.
The PUCSL stated that it has directed the CEB to cover part of the projected deficit using a portion of its excess earnings from previous quarters.
Of the Rs. 22.9 billion profit recorded in the first quarter of 2025, Rs. 8.5 billion will be used to balance the final quarter of 2025, while the remaining Rs. 16.9 billion will be applied to the first quarter of 2026.
The Commission has also imposed seven conditions on the CEB and Lanka Electricity Company (LECO), including preparing cost accounts, submitting an audit report on Rs. 60.5 billion in excess revenue earned in 2024, and ensuring that Rs. 16.9 billion of the 2025 surplus is used in the next tariff adjustment.
In addition, the PUCSL has issued an enforcement directive requiring the CEB to purchase fuel for power generation at competitive market prices to ensure transparency and efficiency.
The regulator reiterated that revising tariffs four times a year is impractical and that decisions on electricity pricing are made strictly in line with the Electricity Act and the approved pricing formula, taking into account all reasonable public submissions received during the consultation process.
