Pay overdue bills within three months, or supply is disconnected

Electricity consumers will have their supply disconnected for failure to pay bills on time, warns the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL).

Outstanding dues to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) are estimated to be around Rs.50 billion, says PUCSL chairman Janaka Ratnayake.

He says both providers will be directed to levy a surcharge or disconnect supply if bills are not settled within three months.

In order to tackle the power crisis, the PUCSL has already proposed power-cuts and generator use for bulk users.

Also, hydropower generation will be slashed by half and state institutions asked to reduce their power consumption.

Scheduled power-cuts will not be required until April provided there is no power plant breakdown, no shortage of fuel and sufficient water at hydropower plants, said Ratnayake.