No electricity tariff revisions for the first quarter of 2026 -PUCSL

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has decided not to revise electricity tariffs for the first quarter of 2026. The main reasons for this decision are the Ceylon Electricity Board's (CEB) failure to submit a formal tariff proposal within the stipulated timeframe and the initial proposal being flawed.

Even if a new proposal were to be submitted at this point, it could only be implemented for a very short period within this quarter. The Commission has also taken into consideration the potential disadvantages that could arise from such a situation.

According to the standard procedure, the Commission had informed the Electricity Board to submit the tariff proposal, which would be effective from January to March 2026, before November 14th of last year. However, the Electricity Board submitted its proposal on December 29th, 2025. As that proposal also contained errors, the Commission requested a corrected proposal before January 8th, but the Electricity Board has indicated that its submission will be further delayed.

As of now, a revised proposal has not been received, and even if it were received now, it could only be implemented for the final period of the first quarter after public consultations and reviews. It has been observed that adjusting income and expenditure for such a short period could lead to a high percentage change in electricity tariffs, which could adversely affect the national economy. After considering these factors, it was decided not to implement a tariff revision during the first quarter, and the Commission has instructed the Electricity Board to submit the tariff proposal for the second quarter of 2026 before February 13th.