RIYADH, 31 August — The Saudi Electricity Company is planning to impose a new special tariff for peak hours, especially during summer. Once endorsed by higher authorities, the new tariff will be applied from 1.00 to 5.00 p.m. for home consumption. The tariff will increase according to the volume of consumption.
The special tariff which is still under discussion will be the second alteration to the country’s electricity tariff introduced last year. The new move comes in the wake of a government campaign that urges the public to reduce power consumption. Increase in consumption means heavy pressure on the Kingdom’s power network and possible power cuts. Saleh Al-Awaji, assistant deputy minister for electricity affairs, told Arab News that said the new tariff will be applied during the peak hours for about two months in a year.
Khaled Abdul Rahman Al-Arfaj, director of studies and research at the electricity company, said the SEC has already advised factories to use their own generators during peak hours to reduce pressure on the network.
“We have also asked the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Endowments to do what is necessary to switch off air conditioners in mosques after prayers,” he said.
Al-Arfaj underlined the difficulty in dealing with the housing sector compared to the industrial sector. “From the former, the pressure on the network is small but the volume is big,” he said, adding that the housing sector can reduce power consumption by adopting various methods like insulation (which reduces consumption by 40 percent) and the use of energy-saving air-conditioners.
