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Electricity rates for the third quarter will be released next week. This summer is hotter than usual, and industrial production is also increasing, so the demand for electricity is expected to increase further. There is also a forecast that electricity prices may rise.



This content was covered by reporter Lee Seong-hoon.



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next month, households with low electricity consumption will have to pay an additional 2,000 won in electricity bills unless they are from low-income households such as those eligible for livelihood protection.



This is because the discount applied to households using less than 200 kWh of electricity per month has been reduced from 4,000 won to 2,000 won.



Electricity bills for 9.1 million households have risen all at once.



In addition, the basic rate discount rate for electric power used to charge electric vehicles will be reduced from the current 50% to 25%.



In effect, the rise in electricity rates has been triggered, but there is a bigger threat.



From this year, the government has decided to implement a 'fuel cost indexing system' that reflects the fuel cost for electricity production in the rate every three months.



According to this system, electricity rates had to be raised in the second quarter, but it was postponed because it could stimulate inflation and put a burden on low-income households.



[Jeong Yeon-je / Head of Power Policy Research Team, Energy Economics Institute: In the second quarter, there was room to adjust the electricity rate by about 2.8 won. ]



The average price of Dubai crude from March to May is $64 per barrel, which is 16% higher than the average for the previous three months. If electricity rates are not raised in the third quarter, KEPCO's loss is inevitable.



[Seung-Hoon Yoo/Professor, Department of Energy Policy, Seoul National University of Science and Technology: It is not only KEPCO that ends with a loss, but when KEPCO sees a loss, it becomes very difficult for power generation companies to suffer a loss. In the end, it may cause some difficulties in the supply of electricity.]



However, considering the recent increase in inflation pressure and the strong opposition to the electricity rate hike in the summer when electricity is high, it is unclear whether the increase will be enforced.



The presidential election is nine months away, and the political factor that may lead to an offensive to pass nuclear power costs is also a variable.



The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy told SBS, "We are well aware of the concerns about the fuel price index system becoming unpopular." "There is a big difference in views between the relevant ministries, but we plan to decide after considering various factors."



Electricity rates for the third quarter will be released next Monday, and if they rise, it will be the first increase in eight years since November 2013.



(Video editing: Park Ki-duk, VJ: Jung Min-goo)