Rising electricity bills spark another surge in election promises
With complaints over rising electricity bills surging, major political parties are promising to sharply cut power bills – and some are even explaining how they will do this.
The ruling party, Palang Pracharath, has pledged to cut the current 4.77 baht per unit cost to 2.50 baht per unit for household users and 2.70 baht per unit for business users.
Mingkwan Saengsuwan, a policy strategist for the party, said it plans to restructure the energy sector in a way that will lower electricity prices.
The United Thai Nation Party – whose first candidate for premier is Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha – has pledged to reduce cost of electricity to 3.90 baht per unit for low-income earners and farmers.
The Thai Sang Thai Party – led by former public health minister Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan – will set the maximum power charge at 3.50 baht per unit.
The Move Forward Party will reduce the rate by 0.70 baht per unit within 100 days of forming a government.
The Democrat Party will review the formula for calculating the fuel tariff, saying this will result in an up to 1.50 baht per unit price reduction, and that the per unit price will subsequently range from 3.27 to 3.77 baht.
Thailand’s electricity rates are based on a combination of production costs and a fuel tariff. The fuel tariff is currently 98.27 satang per unit for both household and industrial users.
Senior Democrat Kiat Sitteeamorn said his party will restructure energy prices to help cut costs for consumers, adding that this is a “sustainable solution”.
The Thai Pakdee Party will cut the price of electricity to 2.50 baht per unit. A Thai Pakdee government will encourage farmers to grow more Napier grass for biofuel to reduce the cost of electricity, party leader Warong Dechgitvigrom said.
The Pheu Thai Party said it will reduce the cost of electricity by cutting the cost of power generation, but it did not give a number. Deputy party leader Pichai Naripthaphan, a former energy minister, said any cost reduction would depend on production costs.
Because imported liquefied natural gas is the main fuel used to generate electricity in Thailand, the country needs to increase domestic fuel sources, including from overlapping claims areas in the Gulf of Thailand, Pichai said.
