Dubai: The Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa) has decided to raise the emirate's power tariff for residents by up to 50 per cent with effect from October 1, according to WAM.
The decision came in a meeting of the authority's board chaired by Shaikh Abdullah Bin Salim Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of Sewa. The new rates would be 40 fils per kilowatt hour (kWh) for the industrial sector while commercial and residential sectors will now have to pay 30 fils per kWh, from the 20 fils being charged earlier, WAM reported.
The board said the decision has been taken due to the increase in cost of generating electricity to more than 65 fils per kilowatt. Sharjah government will continue to subsidise the consumer charges for electricity, WAM said.
Sharjah was hit by a power crisis in September, with the outage affecting thousands of residents and several businesses. Sewa blamed the disruptions on cable maintenance work.
Your comments
There is so much wastage of electricity around Sharjah, unwanted decorative lights, street lights, why canâ??t they opt solar energy for all this and reduce putting burden common man. SEWA gave permission for so many hi-rise building without proper planning? Now there is shortage of energy and why common man has to suffer for that???
We were forced to live in dark and now on top of it we have to pay for that, for no mans mistake... this is too much!!!
Latha K
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 19:42
% of increase very much and what about service charge..request favour from Authorities.In addition need awarness program for cunsumers and employees too
Sakkariya C
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 19:39
I think the authorities should consider other means to cutting cost instead of just hiking the tariff. How about a campaign to raise awareness to restrict the usage of power. Not everyone can bear 50% hike but everyone can contribute in helping others who desperately need power.
Raja Abu Bakr
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 19:14
I wish SEWA help people in a right way to overcome the shortage problems instead of increasing problems for the residents. Before moving to Sharjah when i was in DXB my DEWA was only upto AED 300 per month and now i pay not less than AED 1000. This shows that SEWA is more expensive
RP
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 19:07
shocking news,already sewa collecting service charges
Abu
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 18:43
1st they cut the electricity then they increase the fare. i think i will have to survive on candels now.
Syed
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 18:32
There should be a slab system attached to the service fee. Higher the consumption higher the service fee. It looks very odd to see a bill of AED 60 with a flat service fee of AED 50!(non-gas bills).
Sa'ad Riaz
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 18:12
After an increase in power tariff. Will the power still remain constant or will we see another period of trouble to survive in the hot conditions?
Prateek
Sharjah,U.A.E
Posted: October 01, 2009, 18:05
I request the concerned authorities to give the first electricity then think about the increasing prices
Altaf Ahmad
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 18:00
Where are the service and adjustment charges they ask few years back?
lan
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 17:48
Putting more burden on residential consumers especially at this moment of time.
Shibu
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 17:48
We are already paying 100AED as service charge in electricity + 50 AED for Water. This additional charge will give a big impact on the expenses.
From A Reader
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 17:38
This is Too Much, what else to say...
Jacob
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 17:38
Why.. double.. suddenly.. turn off street lights when they are not in use @ night
Mansour Mughal
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 17:32
what about the new building which are constructed how will they distribute eletricity when they could n't cover the old areas.
Chetan N Mistry
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 17:32
Increase in power tariff can affect seriously on person living in sharjah to cut their cost of living. people may think relocating some where else in UAE as rents coming down, so demand for sharjah flats may go down. increase in teriff is short term solution, SEWA should go for increase in Generation.
average income of consumer has not increased in same proportion to increase in power teriff. so this strategy is clearly hitting power person with no bonus and increments.
Ahmad Bilal
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 17:25
Does dis also mean no more power cuts??
Nebu
Sharjah,U.A.E
Posted: October 01, 2009, 17:10
This is too much, Already we are paying Dhs.30+20+20 as service charge every month. Nobody nows what service charge
Josey
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 16:52
How about the monthly service charges we are paying ? Is it not enough to accomodate the maintenance cost of the generators ? Would this additional cost increase will improve the services of SEWA ?
Nigar Khan
Sharjah,Pakistan
Posted: October 01, 2009, 16:51
It was, after prolonged outages, expected to burden the consumer which does not seem vital solution. We request the rise in tariff should not be above other emirates and should be implemented in fractions not in one shot.
rasheed
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 16:49
This is unfair , as the residents of Sharjah is already paying 60 dirhams against service charges for the use of electricity/water
Manoj
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 16:44
50% is just too much. Why should residential be given a 50% increase?
Analiza
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 16:22
Even if its increased by 100 percent still we have to pay as we have no choice however does it assures that there will be no power cut-off???
Othman Saeed
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 16:16
please wave off the service charges for cooking gas as well as Electricity because the tarif is beyond expected value.
sree
sharjah,Ind
Posted: October 01, 2009, 16:10
I think the increase in teriff by 50% at once seems huge. It should be limited to 25%. It is going to be an additional burden to us. We are already paying Dhs 70 as service charges on top of meter charges whether the bill is of Dhs 50 or Dhs 2,000. Infact the service charge on top of meter charge should be either scrapped or reduced before implementing the new teriff.
Rafiq Zaman
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 15:59
It is very disappointing news as we are already overburdened with SEWA bills, I am paying an average of AED 1400 already for three bed room apartment , this increase will give us atleast a hit of AED 2000 PM
Syed
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 15:53
I wonder why sewa is taking service charge from us.What service do they provide???
From A Reader
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 15:52
For the last three months i had been receoving bills between Dhs 500 - Dhs 600. When i went for complaint the customer service in Al Majaz office was so poor. They asked me not to pay and cut off your electricity so that you may need not pay anything.
Mohammad Tarek
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 15:46
It is obvious that more power generation required to facilitate scores of upcoming sky scrappers and areas which is quite essential , but lading burden on residents is frustrating.
From A Reader
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 15:34
In view of increase of price on other commodities also worldwide, it is reasonable. Also, may be the authorities were forced to increase the price due to price increase in the production cost. So we have to support them.
Suresh Chandralayam
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 15:25
wow ..first there was no electricity and i had to climb 13 floors to my appartment while fasting and was thinking that may be i am paying 70 dhs sercvice charges to climb up 13 floors ... i want to ask what is this service charges for as i have to stay for almost half and hour to pay bills every month to sewa office... and now today the charges are increased by not 10 12 % but a whole 50%.... this is simply too much for residents of sharjah ... SEWA should put a separate tariff as per the usage of electricity according to the consuption units and not same to all .. they should give atleast the releaf by deleting the 70 dhs service charges which is dont know why they are taking ...
BJ
sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 15:23
Lets make sure Sharjah residents have sufficent power FIRST, than charge us 50% more.
Mimi
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 15:16
Even though its cable fault or watever thats not residents fault un nececery they would have to pay 33 % extra of their electricity bill..
it ll dafenately affect the ordinary people
shah
sharjah,uae
Posted: October 01, 2009, 15:07
this is additional burden to expats with families ,school fees hike this will difinitely add the misery to common man.
syed
sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 14:54
At least hereafter we feel SEWA will not disturb the power or water service for the consumers, the charge is too high since SEWA already collecting service charge for water, power and gas comes around AED 75/- (resident).
V.S.Saravanakumar
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 14:52
WHY???? it is already high, SEWA monthly bill is high!!!!!!!!! already!! please stop that.. please!!
Tarek
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 14:51
If the cost of generating electricity is high, what can SEWA do but recover from consumers. The only way to reduce electricity bills is to lessen usage.
John Dmello
Sharjah,U.A.E.
Posted: October 01, 2009, 14:50
STRANGE...... POOR SERVICE WITH HIGH CHARGES
KHURHIUD AHMED
SHARJAH,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 14:49
Will a same scenario arise for water charges in the coming month's?
Mathew
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 14:38
I left sharjah after living with family for last seven years due to continuous power cuts and came to dubai... the hike is too high.
Anindya
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 14:38
common people are affected, the tarrif should be increased gradually instead of straight One time HIKE,.
Jamal Shamsi
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 14:11
This is just not fair. They first said that its cable work , now they are saying its high electricity generating cost. At the time of crisis they didnt even assit us well, and kept us in both virtual as well as literal dark.
Matthews Saji
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 13:39
I have not comments on the increase of power tariff as long as we get electricity supply.
Ricardo
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 13:09
Was wondering if they would do away with the service charges while above is implemented
Adil
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 01, 2009, 13:00
