Energy Minister Akanat Promphan said on Monday households have been unfairly charged for the cost of public street lighting for decades, and he plans to change that.
The minister, speaking at Government House, said the cost of public street lighting was included in the overall cost of the national electricity system and householders were "secretly" charged for it through their monthly power bills.
This added burden had continued “improperly” for decades and he planned to exclude the cost of public lighting from household bills.
Mr Akanat said separate power meters would be installed for street lights, and the relevant government agencies could then seek budget funding to pay for it. "If the cost is separated, people’s power bills will be lower,” he said.
The energy minister said he also planned to convince government agencies to replace their conventional street lights with LED lamps, which would reduce power consumption and lower the billing cost.
