COST OF LIVING/Summer electricity rates to take effect Monday, average bills up NT$446

Taipei, May 31 (CNA) Summer electricity rates for residential customers will take effect Monday, with the average household expected to pay about NT$446 (US$14.19) more per month through the end of September, Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) said.

The seasonal rates will apply to about 15 million residential and small commercial users from June 1 to Sept. 30, while around 26,000 high-voltage and extra-high-voltage users are subject to summer rates from May 16 to Oct. 15, according to Taipower.

The state-run utility said electricity demand rises sharply during Taiwan's hot summer months, mainly because of increased air conditioner use.

That means more expensive power-generating units have to be brought online to meet peak demand, pushing up overall generation costs, Taipower said.

To reflect the higher cost of supplying electricity in summer and encourage energy conservation, Taipower has used seasonal electricity rates since 1989, following similar systems in the United States, Japan and South Korea.

Based on 2025 data, the average monthly household electricity bill rose to NT$1,084 during the summer, nearly 70 percent higher than the NT$638 recorded in non-summer months.

Average household electricity use also increased from 308 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month in non-summer months to 418 kWh during the summer, up about 40 percent.

Taipower said the average household therefore paid about NT$446 more per month in summer.

Of that increase, about NT$326, or 73 percent, was due to higher electricity use, while NT$120, or 27 percent, came from the summer rate adjustment, the company said.

Under the current six-tier residential pricing system, the rate for the first 120 kWh of monthly use remains unchanged year-round at NT$1.78 per kWh.

For monthly consumption of 121-330 kWh, the summer rate is NT$2.55 per kWh. The rate rises progressively to NT$3.80 for 331-500 kWh, NT$5.14 for 501-700 kWh, NT$6.44 for 701-1,000 kWh and NT$8.86 for any usage above 1,000 kWh.