MP Seroor Pushes to Lift ‘Second Tier’ Power Cap to 7,000 kWh

TDT | Manama

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An urgent parliamentary proposal seeks to raise the second tier of electricity tariff from 5,000 to 7,000 kilowatt-hours, with its sponsor arguing that summer usage and shared housing are leaving some households paying as though they were a single high-use family.

MP Munir Seroor, backed by four other MPs, filed the motion fter the amended tariff began feeding through into household bills. It focuses on first-home support and on homes where more than one family lives under the same roof.

‘We want to expand the second tier of the electricity tariff, instead of 5,000 kilowatt-hours, to reach 7,000 kilowatt-hours, to protect middle-income families from an unfair move into higher, unsubsidised tiers during the summer,’ Seroor said.

The proposal argues that higher summer consumption does not, by itself, mean waste, pointing to heat-driven demand that families cannot realistically cut. It says the practical effect of the tariff has shown cases where extended households are treated as one unit, even when each family’s income is limited.

Seroor said the proposal also calls for ‘a special mechanism for extended households, by calculating the tariff based on the number of families actually living in the same home, or allowing a separate electricity meter for each family within the home for those who want it.’

In its explanatory memorandum, the proposal cites royal directives and statements by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister affirming continued electricity and water support for citizens in their first home, alongside backing for low-income households and steps aimed at protecting the middle class, while keeping public funds in view. It says the aim is not to change the principle of support, but to apply it more fairly and ensure it reaches those entitled to it.