Bangkok, April 20- Ministry of Energy clarifies the problem of high electricity costs Apr. Air conditioners work hard, consume more electricity, the more units are used. The electricity bill will be paid according to the progressive rate. The last peak power reserve is only 36 percent.
Mr. Kulit Sombatsiri, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Energy, said that the electricity bill was higher in April 2023. Please note that due to the month of April. is the hottest month make use of air conditioning It takes more power to maintain normal temperatures, as many agencies have confirmed. I confirm that the electricity bill has not increased the price. as it is still in the electricity tariff calculation period During the original period, namely the period from 1 January to 30 April 2023, the average electricity rate has not been adjusted, it is still 4.72 baht per unit, but the electricity rate in Thailand is a progressive rate. or adjust to increase as a ladder
for example household type Rates that do not include variable electricity Ft and VAT. Will start by if used from 1-150 units at 3.2484 baht per unit, 151-400 units at 4.2218 baht per unit, more than 400 units at 4.4217 baht per unit when people use electricity to open the same time, but especially electrical appliances The air conditioner is working hard. And consume more units of electricity, causing the rate to increase, resulting in more expensive electricity costs
For the matter that has been mentioned that The Reserve Margin (RM) of Thailand is as high as 50-60%. continuously and stable It is necessary to have a reserve margin (RM) to support various events that prevent normal power generation, such as natural gas sources stopping supplying natural gas for repairs. or the power plant stops producing electricity due to a malfunction or shutdown for maintenance This includes the case of electricity generation from fluctuating renewable energy, etc.
Having too much backup power capacity Indicates that there may be more power plants than the domestic electricity demand. The consequence is that the electricity rate will increase. because the cost of electricity is included in the cost power plant construction cost If there is a small backup capacity As a result, there is a risk of power shortages in various emergency situations. corresponds to the actual usable electrical capacity because the total power generation capacity Some of them come from renewable energy such as wind power, solar energy. biomass energy which cannot be relied on 24 hours a day due to periodic or seasonal factors Therefore, it cannot be evaluated by using the total electricity generating capacity.
In addition, the demand for electricity The assessment will use the amount of peak demand (Peak Demand), which during April. is approximately 33,000 MW, close to the peak demand for electricity in 2022, therefore, the power reserve rate is 36 percent, which is not 50-60 percent as claimed. calculate will make the power reserve rate not reflect the actual power reserve rate
Electricity generation in Thailand relies on natural gas. Both in the Gulf of Thailand, Myanmar and liquefied natural gas (LNG) up to 56% during the year 2022, with the change of exploration and production concessionaires to replace Thailand's large-scale drilling in the Gulf of Thailand. The amount of natural gas from domestic gas production has decreased from before. While the global LNG price crisis There is a fluctuation and has increased significantly from normal at a price of about 8-10 USD per million BTU. increased to 50-80 USD per million BTU This is the main reason that results in higher electricity bills.
As for the electricity bill for the second installment/2023 (May-August), it is under consideration by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) whether it can be reduced from the announced average rate of 4.77 baht per unit to 4.70 baht per unit. or not it's a matter The ERC will consider the ministry, unable to step forward. As a result, it can be reduced. Because the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) made a confirmation letter to help people By requesting to pay for electricity bills that are due, increasing from the remaining 5 installments or ending December 2024 to 6 electricity installments or ending April 2025 .-Thai News Agency
Source: Thai News Agency