The cabinet will decide on Tuesday whether to approve additional relief measures for electricity consumers after many households complained bitterly about steep power bills this month as a result of working from home.
Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong however said on Monday it was agreed at a meeting with energy agencies that bill reductions will be offered to household users.
Despite starting in late April, the charges will be retroactive as the number of units of electricity consumed in February will be used as the basis for the calculation.
According to the proposal, free electricity will be extended to households whose consumption does not exceed 150 units (kilowatts/hour), up from 90 units previously.
The relief measure will only apply to houses with a power meter size of no more than 5 amps. Up to 10 million households are expected to benefit.
For households with a power meter size over 5 amps, if their consumption does not exceed 800 units, they will pay as much as they did in their February bill. The amount exceeding 800 units will be subject to a 50% discount.
Large houses that consume more than 3,000 units will get a 30% discount.
About 20 million households are likely to benefit from the relief measure which will take effect for three months from March to May. For those who have already paid their bill the amount will be deducted from the next one.
The meeting was called in response to growing complaints about surging bills. Many social media users were taken aback by their electricity bills having doubled, or even tripled, in the past month.
Many people demanded the government find a solution, saying they worked from home to prevent Covid-19 spreading and it is now time for the government to help them.
