Weerayut Blasts Government Over Electricity Rate Hike, Dumping Burden on Citizens and SMEs

At 10 a.m. on April 29, 2025, at Parliament, Weerayut Kanjanapuchatra, a Pheu Thai party list MP and deputy party leader, presented the results of a shadow cabinet meeting regarding the urgent electricity price issue. He stated that the government must not address the high electricity problem with temporary, patchwork solutions that simply pass the burden back to the public. Instead, he proposed that the government should boldly pursue negotiations to reduce costs including capacity charges, while dismantling restrictions on purchasing electricity from the private renewable energy sector.

Weerayut criticized the current approach as merely addressing symptoms rather than solving the real problem, noting that policy direction remains unclear. He pointed out that Energy Minister Eknath Promphan speaks about the issue frequently, yet cabinet measures lack clarity, particularly regarding electricity consumption exceeding 400 units. Further discussions are expected at the National Energy Policy Committee meeting.

Weerayut emphasized that the government should not view people consuming over 400 units as wasteful, as many households with large occupancy require such consumption out of necessity. During an energy crisis of this magnitude, no one is truly wasteful, he argued.

Another significant group affected includes small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating from homes, he noted. Many Thai SMEs use the ground floor for business and the upper floor for residential purposes, resulting in electricity usage exceeding thresholds. This increases operational costs and compounds the burden on SMEs already facing declining purchasing power and rising expenses.

Weerayut called on the government to approach the problem correctly by not forcing citizens to manage the burden themselves. Instead, the government must have the courage to actively reduce electricity rates and negotiate the crucial capacity charges that drive costs. He stated that only through such bold action can it be clear that the government truly prioritizes the public interest.

Regarding solar panel installation, Weerayut noted that while many affluent households and businesses have already installed systems, new installations can cost hundreds of thousands of baht. He argued that low-interest credit alone is insufficient incentive. While transitioning to clean energy is worthwhile, actual installation costs must be seriously considered.