The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has decided not to revise electricity tariffs for the final quarter of 2026, the regulator said on Wednesday.
The rates in force during the third quarter of 2026 will therefore stay unchanged until the end of the year. The decision applies even though cost data from the National System Operator (NSO) pointed to higher supply costs.
The Commission said the NSO’s initial figures showed a 2.88 percent increase in the cost of supplying electricity during the October to December quarter. The NSO sent its first estimates on 6 October, although they were due before 17 August 2026. Updated cost data followed on 9 November.
The PUCSL said it weighed the updated data and the views of stakeholders gathered during a mandatory public consultation before concluding that no revision was necessary.
Background
Under Section 29 of the Sri Lanka Electricity Act No. 36 of 2024, the NSO must submit estimated electricity supply costs for coming periods to the PUCSL. The Commission reviews that data, seeks public comment and then determines the tariff.
The public consultation was held under Section 17 of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka Act No. 35 of 2002 and Section 29 of the Electricity Act. It covered estimated generation costs and the generation mix, energy costs, fuel prices, generation capacity costs, battery storage capacity costs, adjustments for past revenue surpluses or deficits, the excess revenue of the Electricity Distribution Company and the proposed percentage of any tariff change.
The timing of the submissions matters in this process. The Act gives the NSO a deadline so that the regulator and the public have time to examine the figures before a quarter begins. In this case the first estimates arrived about seven weeks after the due date.
What it means
For households, shops and businesses, electricity charges for the final quarter of 2026 will stay at the levels applied in the third quarter. No increase will appear on bills because of the NSO’s estimate of a 2.88 percent rise in supply costs.
Any change to the cost of supply will be considered again in the next review under the same process, which includes cost data from the NSO and a public consultation. Consumers who wish to follow it can look for the PUCSL’s public notices on its website.
