Amidst public fury CEB clarifies disconnection figures

Amidst rising public fury, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) yesterday clarified concerns over disconnections following the issuance of red notices.

The CEB said only 544,488 disconnections occurred during the first 10 months out of its nearly seven million users. 

The CEB pointed out that this situation is similar to 2019 and not deemed unusual, citing an annual provision of 150,000 new electricity connections.

However, figures provided by the CEB only cover data up to 31 October, omitting November and December data. Analysts insisted that a comprehensive analysis requires full-year data.

Households are also furious over the manner in which disconnections are done and the public having only little options such as closure of payment outlets by 2:30 p.m. whilst the online platform too has issues.

As per CEB, in 2019 out of 6,500,641 total electricity users, 573,073 disconnections were recorded for the entire year, with 47,756 per month. In contrast, 2023 saw 544,488 disconnections in the first 10 months, with 54,499 monthly, indicating a higher monthly rate already compared to 2019.

The CEB explained that lower disconnections in 2020 and 2021 were attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the lowest recorded in 2021 at 94,201 annual disconnections and 7,850 monthly incidents, while 2020 saw 210,380 annual disconnections and 17,532 monthly.

On 20 October, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) approved the CEB request to increase electricity tariffs by 18% on average for all categories subject to several conditions, marking the third revision for 2023. The electricity regulator approved tariff hikes on 14 February and 30 June 2023. 

Addressing concerns about the disconnection process, the CEB clarified that a red notice is issued only after the due date has passed by a month, with an additional 10 concessional days provided post-notice.

The board highlighted a positive trend in reduced arrears among electricity users, attributing it to the introduction of e-bills and red notices from January 2023. The CEB also stressed that the e-bill system via SMS has not only enhanced efficiency, but also contributed to cost reduction.

In November alone, 34,848 electricity connections were categorised as ‘zero consumption’ due to reasons, including disconnections, unoccupied residences, non-residential houses and the process of demolishing old buildings and constructing new ones.