No electricity tariff hike in the first quarter of 2026 as CEB misses deadline

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has decided not to revise electricity tariffs for the first quarter of 2026 after the Ceylon Electricity Board failed to submit a valid tariff revision proposal within the required time frame.

In a statement issued today (January 14), the PUCSL said the decision was taken after considering several factors, including the failure of the CEB to submit a formal proposal on time, errors found in the proposal that was later submitted, and the possible negative impact of introducing a high tariff increase for only a short remaining period of the quarter.

The Commission said it had informed the CEB through a letter sent in October last year to submit the electricity tariff revision proposal for the period from January to March 2026 by November 14, 2025. However, the CEB submitted its proposal only on December 29, 2025.

According to the statement, due to several defects in the submitted proposal, the Commission informed the CEB on January 05, 2026, to submit a corrected proposal by January 08, 2026. On the same day, the CEB informed the Commission that there would be further delays in submitting the revised proposal.

The PUCSL said it has not received a corrected proposal so far. It also noted that even if a revised proposal is received, it could only be implemented for the final part of the first quarter after a review and public consultations.

The Commission further observed that adjusting electricity tariffs to reflect income and expenditure changes for a short period could lead to a relatively high percentage increase. It said such a situation could have a more harmful impact on the national economy.

After considering the economic impact of both the delayed submission and the implementation of a tariff revision for a short period, the PUCSL decided not to implement an electricity tariff revision for the first quarter of 2026.

The Commission has also instructed the Ceylon Electricity Board to submit the electricity tariff revision proposal for the second quarter of 2026 on or before February 13, 2026.