STELCO chief expects electricity bill to remain high next month

The electricity bill will likely remain high next month given the changes to the weather, says Hussain Fahmy, the managing director of the State Electric Company (STELCO).

The remark comes amid complaints from the public over lack of significant changes to the bill, despite the discount on utilities in Ramadan.

In an appearance on PSM News’s ‘Raajje Miadhu’ show on Wednesday night, Fahmy said that domestic electricity bills are high each year during the warm season.

Fahmy predicts that based on STELCO’s history pattern, electricity bills will remain high this month, as well as the month after.

“That is, based on the changes to the weather and based on the current peak and the diesel consumption and other patterns, I do not believe next month’s bill will be lower either,” he said.

Fahmy acknowledged that this month’s bill is higher than other months.

“But the high bill isn’t because STELCO did something. I have to say it’s because of these changes to the weather. The ambient temperature has grown warmer right? It is also warm in neighboring countries,” he said.

Fahmy said that Maldives has been experiencing the warmest temperatures in recent history. He stressed that the high electricity bill is due to the warm weather.

I do not believe the electricity bill can be lowered without implementing energy conservation measures, he said.

In Ramadan, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu made the decision to offer a discount on domestic utility bills to ease the burden on households during the holy month. Both water and electricity was billed on average consumption during regular months.