President writes to Mahanayake Theros on electricity tariff revisions

• Expresses gratitude for religious leaders’ contribution to conserving electricity at worship places, precedent it sets for society
• Suggests solar panels as a long-term solution for all religious places
• Asserts Govt. mechanism under the leadership of Power and Energy Ministry will be conducted 
• Says initiative is to ensure all religious rituals are carried out without hindrance

President Ranil Wickremesinghe in a letter to Mahanayake Theros expressed his gratitude for their contribution to conserving the electricity at religious shrines and the precedent it sets for society.

In a special letter addressed to the Maha Nayaka Theros of the Malwathu, Asgiri, Amarapuraand Ramanya Chapters the President explained the rationale for the increased electricity tariff rates.

President Wickremesinghe in his letter said that the electricity crisis has arisen as a direct result of the ongoing economic crisis and that he sees it as the responsibility of the Government led by him to resolve all these issues systematically for the benefit of all citizens and the entire religious community of the country, a statement issued by the President’s Media Division noted.

It added that to date, 42,950 Buddhist temples and other registered religious and social services in the country are connected to the national grid, noting that last year, 91 million units of electricity or 91 GWh have been utilised.

The President has also mentioned in his letter that temples and other religious places with high electricity usage will be identified and a proper study will be conducted to provide uninterrupted service for electricity demand management and electricity conservation to those places with the intervention of a Government mechanism, under the leadership of the Power and Energy Ministry. 

He noted that a program is necessary to appoint energy managers who are dedicated to the religious and social mission of taking care of the religious places and provide them with formal training and conduct a survey monthly.

Currently, 15,527 Buddhist shrines and other registered religious and social services use below 30 units of electricity, whilst 9,441 places used between 31-90 units of electricity, 3,274 places used between 91-120 units of electricity and 4,972 religious places used between 121-180 units of electricity. 

Even under the new electricity charges, the highest monthly electricity bill of 33,214 registered Buddhist temples and other religious and social services, is less than Rs. 4,000. Only 9,800 places that use over 180 units have higher charges, the PMD statement noted.

Accordingly, these can be categorised into two groups; temples or other religious places that consume below 180 units of electricity and those that consume over 180 units of electricity. It is a fact that with the revision of the new electricity tariff, places with high electricity consumption of over 180 units will be affected.

President Wickremesinghe has suggested that it is practical to install solar panels as a long-term solution to religious shrines that have to pay very high electricity bills, instead of opting for alternative mechanisms that would only serve to provide short-term relief. 

He said that these solar panels could be provided to these establishments at cost or they could be provided with the required funds to import such solar panels. 

The President also added that a suitable mechanism would be drawn up based on the advice and input of the Mahanayake Theros and based on a priority basis. These solar panels could also be installed so that they will not hamper any of the religious events planned at these religious establishments in any manner. 

He also said that this endeavour is to ensure that the daily, monthly or annual religious rituals could be carried out without hindrance for the benefit of society.  Under the current system of electricity charges, the Electricity Board has charged Rs. 7.17 for a normal unit, and another Rs. 11.46 has been spent by the Ceylon Electricity Board for each unit used by religious institutions.