Brazil consumers' power bills increase an average 23.4% as of next Monday

Sunday, March 1st 2015 - 22:03 UTC

Full article 6 comments

Brazil's utilities were granted an average special rate hike of 23.4% to cover the costs of a energy subsidy program that the government of President Dilma Rousseff has decided to stop funding directly, the country's electrical energy system regulator said on Friday, as reported by Folha de Sao Paulo. Read full article

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Briton
Judging by the picture,
im surprised no one was electrocuted..
Mar 01st, 2015 - 11:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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ilsen
ok, so the subsidy is no longer a subsidy, as it is now price-rise, in order to pay a tax, for the subsidy????

how can it be both? wtf?

have the socialists run out of spending other people's money?

some-one please explain. cheers!
Mar 02nd, 2015 - 12:58 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Skip
Increasing electricity prices lowers consumption.

Deregulation in Australia has lead to higher prices and consumption (after rising every year for more than a century) is now falling every year.

Better for the environment and less need to build new power stations.
Mar 02nd, 2015 - 05:50 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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ChrisR
@ 3 Skip

Got it in one!

Now Brazilians will need to spend at least a year's subsidy on upgrading their appliances and replacing tungsten lighting for coiled fluorescent.

BUT, they will make savings and perhaps even reduce the oncost to zero, I have in Uruguay and we have had a similar price hike but over several years.
Mar 02nd, 2015 - 10:55 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Conqueror
I wonder how long it will be before there are street protests? It's never good to find out that you're going to have to pay nearly 25% more for something. Especially after the protests about the amounts spent on the World Cup. And there's still the Olympic Games to come! What about the knock-on effects? Can we see an increase in the number of 'romantic' dinners by candlelight? Fewer streetlights. More crime? Will production fall when power is rationed? Or will prices rise? The power sector is one that is very dodgy to mess with. It's not as though Brazil has power to spare. Despite getting power from dams jointly operated with Paraguay, where prices are very favourable, where's the spare capacity? Carnival in the dark, anyone? And if the government isn't subsidising, will the people be demanding lower taxes? I see trouble coming. Might be best to avoid the Olympics.
Mar 02nd, 2015 - 01:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Jack Bauer
The PT fucks up, steals money from all the State-run companies, takes a slice of all public investments for the Party, spends taxpayer money to get the fat B re-elected, then tells the public that they have to pay for the investments in infrastructure to allow the electricity distributors to improve the energy situation, with only one small setback....they'll get no shares, just higher bills...
Mar 02nd, 2015 - 04:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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