CLP fuel surcharge rise to add about $10 to monthly bill for households

A typical three-member household using 300 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month will pay about HK$10 more in fuel charges compared with levels before the latest round of increases, as CLP Power raises its fuel surcharge to 42.6 cents per unit from next month.

The power firm announced on Tuesday that its fuel cost adjustment will rise to 42.6 cents per kilowatt-hour in June, up 5.4 percent from the previous month, marking the biggest monthly increase so far this year.

For a household using 300 kWh a month, the latest adjustment would mean about HK$6.50 more in fuel charges compared with May, and about HK$10.20 more compared with the level before the increases began in April.

The latest rise follows a steady climb since April, with the surcharge increasing by a total of 3.4 cents per kWh, or more than 8.6 percent.

CLP said the annual fuel adjustment charge was set at 39.4 cents per kWh in the most recent tariff review, while the June adjustment adds another 3.2 cents, bringing the total fuel surcharge to 42.6 cents per kWh.

The company said the fuel cost adjustment reflects the difference between actual and forecast fuel prices, including oil, gas and coal.

HK Electric had earlier raised its fuel charge to 31.3 cents per kWh, a 20 percent increase that offset reductions made between April and May.

Energy Advisory Committee chairman Simon Wong Kit-lung said fuel adjustment charges are expected to continue rising in the coming months as oil prices have surged since March.

Wong said Brent crude oil had once reached US$120 per barrel and recently rebounded to around US$100, nearly double the level before the Middle East conflicts.

He expected the charge to peak around August and remain at an elevated level, with future adjustments depending on market developments.

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