DHAKA: The technical evaluation committee of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) on Thursday recommended increasing of the retail power price by 3.09 percent.

The committee made the recommendation in a mass hearing on the process of hiking power price at TCB Bhaban at Karwan Bazar in the city in the morning.

Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) additional director (commercial operation) M Taslim Hossain placed the proposal before the BERC.

BERC chairman AR Khan, member Dr Selim Mahmud, and engineers Delwar Hossain, Rahman Murshed and Maksudul Haq received the mass hearing on it.

In the proposal, the BPDB has asked Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission to approve 22.45 percent hike for retail power. The five-day hearing of the petition began today.

BPDB also said the cost of a unit of power now stands at Tk 6.10. If BERC approves the proposed price hike, the retail price of power will stand at the rate of Tk 7.47 per unit.

The BPDB told the BERC that if this rate would not be raised for retail after an 18-percent hike in bulk, the government would count losses of Tk 1,158 crore a year.

Earlier on Tuesday, the technical evaluation committee of BERC recommended increasing the bulk power price by 5.16 percent though Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) proposed to increase the power price by 18.12 percent (Tk 0.85 per unit) at wholesale level.

Besides, the committee of BERC on Wednesday recommended increasing of the wheeling charge by 1.53 percent in response to the proposal of Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB).

The mass hearing on price hike proposals of country's power utilities commenced on Tuesday and will be held till January 25 in phases.

BDST: 1315 HRS, JAN 22, 2015