Think electric rates are high now? Wait for April

March 22^nd, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) If you think electric rates are high now, just wait for April.

Next month, household electric rates across the country will increase between 9% and 14%.

Authorities say the increase aims to cover spending on hydrocarbon fuels –namely diesel- that were used for generation last quarter, which was almost 4 billion colones (about $8 million) more than estimated by regulators.

The rate hikes will affect 1.4 million customers across the country, including both homes and businesses.  The rate increases are across all of the major electric providers in the country, including ICE and Compania Nacional de Fuerza y Luz (CNFL).

The highest rate increases will be seen by customers of CNFL in the Central Valley, Coopelesca, in San Carlos, and Coopesantos.

For example, a Coopelesca customer that consumes 250 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month will see their bill increase from 20,000 colones to 23,850, not including the mandatory surcharges for public lighting and the fire department.

A CNFL customer consuming the same amount of power will see their bill increase by more than 10%, paying an additional 2,150 colones.

Worse still, the business sector worries that this is only the beginning of even higher rate hikes to come shortly.  They point to the fact that ICE has spent even more in diesel this quarter than last quarter, which the current rate hike is based on.

Just this week, the business sector called on the government to declare a national emergency over the country’s electric rates.