Power fees to jump as high as 5-fold in peak times from Jan.

Power fees to jump as high as 5-fold in peak times from Jan.. November. 17, 2012 00:39. January@donga.com.

Korea will introduce in January an “optional power consumption peak system” that imposes an extra utility fee of up to five times the ordinary rate to those who consume electricity during peak hours of power consumption. The reward will be a 10-percent discount on electricity in normal hours.

The government is also hoping to restart by year`s end Yeonggwang Nuclear Power Plants Nos. 5 and 6 in South Jeolla Province, whose operations were suspended to replace uncertified parts.

In a national policy coordination meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Hwang-shik at the Central Government Complex in Seoul Friday, the government finalized and announced a plan to ensure a stable power supply and save energy in winter that will use these and other measures.

Predicting that the electricity reserve rate will fall up to 1.27 million kilowatts in January due to cold spells that will likely be more severe than in previous years, authorities will seek to cut power consumption more aggressively, especially by industry and the public sector.

For one, the optional power consumption peak system will target companies that use 300 to 3,000 kilowatts of power daily. When the system is put in place, the gap in the utility rate between hours of the highest rate and those of the lowest rate will rise from 2.5 times to 6.6 times.

As for the more than 6,000 worksites that consume 3,000 kilowatts or more daily, they must cut power consumption 3 to 10 percent in January and February from the volume used in December.

Public organizations must also maintain an indoor temperature of 18 degrees Celsius, and municipal and provincial governments will crack down on stores that operate heaters with their doors open. Public offices and large buildings will be banned from using landscape outdoor lighting, and stores can leave just one neon sign on each from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

If the reserve power rate falls below 400,000 kilowatts, all public agencies excluding those for public security and disaster prevention, airports and medical institutions will have their power supply cut off.