Plan to carry winter power subsidy into summer

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A proposal to let families carry unused subsidised electricity and water consumption from winter into summer has been lodged in Parliament, aiming at cutting bills when air-conditioning use sends power demand sharply higher.

MP Mohammed Al Rifai wants the Electricity and Water Authority to let eligible Bahrainis roll unused portions of their monthly subsidised consumption into later months, especially from winter into summer. The plan would cover citizens receiving government tariff support on their primary home account.

A household using less electricity during the cooler months would keep the unused share of its subsidised consumption rather than lose it at the end of the month. It could then use that share when demand rises in summer.

Air conditioning drives much of the gap between winter and summer use. Families tend to use less electricity in cooler months, while longer use of air conditioners in summer can push them into higher-priced tariff bands and leave them with larger bills, according to the proposal’s explanatory memorandum.

Al Rifai argues that families should not lose part of their subsidised consumption simply because their power use falls in winter and rises in summer.

The proposal would not increase the value of government support or alter the existing tariff bands. Instead, unused subsidised consumption would be carried forward for use during months when demand is higher.

Eligible Bahrainis receiving government tariff support on one domestic account pay 3 fils per kWh for the first 3,000 units, 9 fils from 3,001 to 5,000, 16 fils from 5,001 to 7,000 and 32 fils above 7,000.

Under the month-by-month system, a family can remain well within the lower-priced bands in winter, then move into a higher-priced band once summer heat drives up electricity use.

Al Rifai’s proposal seeks to take yearly use into account rather than treating each month on its own.

The memorandum argues that using less power in winter does not mean a family uses less over the whole year. The difference, it says, is largely caused by the weather and the heavier use of air conditioning during summer.

Carrying unused subsidised consumption forward would let eligible households make fuller use of the support they already receive and ease bills during the months when families use the most power.