TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Striking a delicate balance between minimizing heat and conserving energy consumption continues to present a challenge for residents of Taiwan every summer.
To address the surge in summer electricity rates, Taiwanese families have resorted to various measures, such as reducing their air conditioner usage and implementing do-it-yourself aluminum foil boards and shutters to block out the scorching heat. They also diligently monitor their electricity usage to meet the criteria for the energy-saving reward program.
Yang Hsien-ying, a homemaker, highlights the financial benefits of this initiative, explaining that she is eligible for a minimum reward of NT＄84 for saving one or two kilowatt-hours compared to the same period last year.
During the summer months, Taipower's statistics from last year show that an average household's electricity consumption has increased by 138 kilowatts, overlapping with the period when the summer electricity rate is in effect. This increase leads to an average monthly household bill increase of NT＄479 between June and September.
Despite the higher summer rate, Taipower confirms that the annual average electricity prices approved by the Electricity Price Review Committee remain unchanged, as the non-summer periods have lower prices.
Still, a Nuclear Engineering and Science professor from the National Tsing Hua University, Yeh Tsung-kuang, speculates an increase in electricity prices in the second half of this year due to the ongoing and potentially worsening income loss of Taipower.