Are you getting a fair price/service for your utility subscriptions, in Sri Lanka?
By: Mohamed Faizan Cassim
Tags: Sri Lanka, Power, Electricity, Government, Utilities

Wind Turbines capturing wind energy to be converted to electrical energy.

Background

Let us take electricity generation for example today the CEB is crying aloud about an electricity shortage, but is there a shortage of electricity in the country? We are a tropical island that is lucky to be blessed with not only one form of renewable energy, but many forms of it; from Hydro Power to Solar, Geothermal, Wind, Wave Power etc. and by using these technologies effectively (such as solar loans and incentives), we can contribute a significant percentage of our power consumption from renewable energy. But what is the catch? Successive governments have shown a pathetic lack of interest in the realization of such a dream. But here is the thing, this is not the only problem that we are facing with our electricity board: even when it comes to non-renewable energy sources, the board is not making the most cost-effective decisions, when it comes to sourcing their energy. The reason behind this is that the board is more concerned about making a profit for diesel power plant owners, which they source their electricity from, rather than making cost-effective decisions for their customers. If we let this culture continue, we could be paying much more than what the actual cost of electricity is. Do a comparison of the cost per kilowatt-hour of electricity in our Sri Lanka versus other developed and developing countries and see for yourself.



It is in such a backdrop that we have a commission called the PUCSL (Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka) and their sole responsibility is to monitor utility companies and see if they are giving a fair service at a fair price point to their customers. Similar organizations in the United Kingdom are OFSTED and OFCOM, for education and communications regulation, respectively.



If experience is anything to go by, professionals in Sri Lanka, be it in Engineering, Medical Sciences are known to propagate a lot of fake news and phantom challenges (challenges, that, in reality do not exist). And for people like you and me, we do not have unlimited time to keep on chasing these utility companies for a fair price/service. So, the solution for that is the PUCSL; they fight for our rights (consumer’s rights).

Current Context

Under the current government, they do not seem to believe in consumer rights and think we should be satisfied with any rubbish they give us, even if it is us that is paying the salaries of the government and various boards in Sri Lanka.



If the electricity costs (for the consumer) rise exponentially, millions of families will be in the dark, not being able to meet their bills, thereby not being able to have access to quality education or even a basic dignified living. For centuries, we have known what this can lead into, so why do we still keep on spinning the same hamster wheel?

Public Utilities Commission Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Logo

Call to Action

Therefore, I feel every self-respecting patriotic citizen must protest against the abolishing of the PUCSL.