An assistance measure has been issued for electricity users in light of the FT rate for electricity fees calculation being raised in September. The FT rate hitting 93.43 satang per electricity unit will result in a final electricity charge of 4.72 baht per unit. Nonetheless, home users who use no more than 500 units per month will receive discounts.
The assistance measure from the Ministry of Energy will see discounts applied to the per unit electricity charge for two groups of home users. The first group, comprising users who consume no more than 300 units per month, will receive a 92.04 satang per unit discount. The discount will be in force during the four months from September to December. The second group comprises users who consume 301-500 units of electricity per month. These users will receive a discount ranging from 15 to 75 percent on the portion of the FT rate that is being increased.
Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow said the assistance will cover about 80% of all electricity users in Thailand. 89% of home users will be accounted for. Electricity users who draw power from the Navy’s electricity operation will also be included. The minister said the aid scheme will require 2 billion baht of funds per month or about 8 billion baht for the entire 4-month duration.
The Energy Policy and Planning Office has also endorsed extending a cooking gas subsidy for holders of the State Welfare Card. The 100 baht per month subsidy is being extended for 3 months and will now be in effect until December this year. The Department of Energy Business will propose these initiatives to the Cabinet within this month. (NNT)
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