The Minister of Energy, Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov commented the expected rise of power and gas prices. He clarified that the government plannned to raise rates only for enterprises, not households. Additionally, he emphasized the significance of maintaining a steady and reliable power supply for the public.
The Ministry of Energy stressed that rising prices and ongoing power outages could lead to public outcry. He added that the Ministry was working on improving power generation and upgrading networks.
Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov also stated that if a stable electricity supply was achieved, the Ministry of Energy would propose a project for graded power rates to the government starting May 1, 2024. However, this did not imply that prices would rise immediately.
Households with high energy usage, such as saunas, swimming pools, and many appliances, will be charged more with differentiated prices that introduce a social consumption rate.
Currently, only 15% of the population uses more than 300 kW*h of electricity per month, while three-quarters of households consume less than 200 kWh per month, according to the Ministry.
In May 2022, a proposal was put forth to raise prices on electricity, natural gas, and liquefied gas. The proposed decree included social norms that applied to domestic consumers, with fees that would be raised if these norms were exceeded. However, many negative comments were received, prompting the draft being sent for further study. As a result of this study, the decree excluded any increase in prices for households, and the Cabinet had ordered a temporary postponement of the rate increase for legal entities.
During his address to the parliament in December, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of liberalizing the energy sector while also providing assistance to those in need and implementing a payment system based on consumption volume.
In March, Dishod Sultanov, the Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs, announced that electricity prices for citizens would not increase in 2023.
