The mercury has dipped a bit in recent days,... but those of us in Korea are still enduring daytime highs in the mid to high thirties and tossing and turning through sticky tropical nights.
With the unprecedented heatwave making it near impossible NOT to be heavily reliant on energy-sapping air conditioning, the government has unveiled new measures to reduce the burden on those concerned about skyrocketing electricity bills.
Kim Ji-yeon reports.
The Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Paik Un-gyu, announced plans Tuesday to ease the burden on households from electricity bills during this summer's heatwave... by changing the billing system for July and August.
The progressive billing rates will be revised so that the first two stages are each 1-hundred kilowatt hours higher,... meaning the lowest tier applies until usage hits 300 kilowatt-hours... and the second tier goes until 500.
For example, a household of four using 350 kilowatt-hours of electricity in a month... would only have to pay 58-U.S. dollars -- down 25-and-a-half-percent from the current rate.
"We expect households that consume 200 to 400 kilowatt-hours of electricity on average, and which are affected greatly by the progressive billing system, to benefit the most from the relief measures."
On average, the ministry estimates that more than 15-million households will save 10-thousand won or around 9 dollars a month... when their bills arrive as soon as this week.
Though the discount applies to every household in principle, for those whose bills for July have already come, the ministry says they'll get the savings next month.
In terms of how much extra the heatwave is going to cost people, the vast majority of households -- 89 percent -- are expected to see their bills rise by less than 9 dollars.
That's based on analyis by the ministry of more than 4 million households.
Those who're going to owe more than 44 dollars extra... are only one-percent.
The ministry also unveiled mid-to-long term plans to improve the current progressive tariff system... by conducting test cases later this year and implementing the changes by 2021.
"It also says it'll expand discounts for nearly 3 million low-income families and households with babies to help them stay safe in the summer weather.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News."
