Electricity increases justifiable

PANAMA. Electric energy users will have to be content with listening to the excuses of suppliers about tariff adjustments.

Recently, thousands of customers received a shock when their electricity bill showed an increase of $2 or more, although they have used the same amount of kilowatts per hour.

The spokeswoman of Elektra Noreste, Lorena Fábrega said the company is complying with the tariff adjustment.

The justification of the electricity supplier is: “The increase in the prices of oil products at an international level has meant that in Panama we have to make adjustments to the tariff,” said Fabrega on TVN.

Although there was a decrease of two cents per kilowatt per hour, currently customers have to face an increase due to the variation in fuel prices.

Fabrega said that the credit customers received at the beginning of the year was wiped out.

However, the spokeswoman said that those clients that use less than 500 kilowatts per hour, will continue to pay the same tariff without variation, due to the Stabilization Tariff Fund implemented by the government.

Meanwhile the former director of the Hydroelectric and Electricity Resources, IRHE, Jose Blandon said that he is worried by the increase in electricity bills in the last month.

Blandon said that the Public Service Authority ASEP should investigate the electricity companies to find out if the increases are justifiable.

He said that it is necessary for those companies to be properly regulated to avoid abuses.

The ASEP director, Dennis Moreno said that the increases were justifiable, because of the high cost of bunker fuel.

He explains that the insurance acquired in December last year will not cover the recent cost increases that went over $50, because on the first few months of the year the price was below that and the clients were in credit for the first six months.