Utility Regulatory Authority probes high electricity bills

Utility Regulatory Authority (URA) has launched an investigation following complaints from State Electric Company (STELCO)’s customers in the Maldivian capital over high electricity bills in July. 

In a statement on Saturday, URA said it has come to its attention via social media and other sources of complaints from some of STELCO’s customers over unusually high electricity bills in July. 

“We hereby inform that though we have yet to receive an official complaint regarding this issue, we are looking into this,” said URA in its statement. 

STELCO has stated that the bills in July appear higher because the 40 percent subsidy on bills granted by the government the month before is no longer in effect. 

"Customers can re-check readings if they have complaints. We send bills after double checking readings. But we also re-check following complaints,” said STELCO’s media official. 

The government had subsidized utility bills as a measure of COVID-19 relief back in 2020 as well.