Électricité du Liban (EDL) announced on Tuesday that certain charges have been abolished or reduced, based on decisions taken by its Board of Directors following approval by the relevant ministerial authorities.
These amendments will be reflected in electricity bills issued from May 2023 onwards, with printing starting next week, according to a press release issued by the public electricity supplier.
As a result, the calculation of the qualification allowance for all subscriptions to medium and low-voltage networks has been cancelled, as has the 20% surcharge (at the Sayrafa platform rate) for calculating the USD/LBP exchange rate.
Moreover, it is now possible to pay the bill in US dollars or Lebanese pounds, depending on the exchange rate determined by the Banque du Liban.
EDL also indicated in its press release that these changes were justified by the difficult living conditions of individuals and families on limited incomes, as well as by a desire to encourage the country’s productive economic sectors.
The public electricity supplier explained that these amendments will benefit 15 and 20 ampere customers in particular. These customers make up around 72% of all low-voltage (LV) electricity subscribers, thanks to a 46% reduction in the fixed costs of their electricity bills. They also benefit the production sectors subscribing to medium voltage (MV) through a 51% reduction in the value of fixed charges on their bills.
On the other hand, EDL called on all ratepayers, including public administrations and institutions, to pay their electricity bills on time to avoid their accumulation and fines for unpaid arrears.
