Generator rates drop again in December bills

After a brief increase that ended three years of declines, the price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) produced and sold by private or neighborhood electricity generators in Lebanon has resumed its downward trend for December bills.

The energy minister set the price at 29,975 Lebanese liras, a decrease of 1,213 pounds or 3.9 percent.

In dollars, this means it drops from $0.35 to just over $0.33, based on the Ministry's exchange rate of 89,700 liras.

The average price for 20 liters of diesel used in December is 1,383,753 liras ($15.42), down 4.7 percent.

After applying the usual 10 percent markup authorized by the Ministry for generator owners in mountainous regions (above 700 meters altitude) and/or rural areas, the maximum kWh price is 32,972 liras ($0.37).

To calculate their bill, each subscriber must multiply the set price by the number of kWh recorded on their individual meter, which the operator is required to have installed.

Fixed fees remain unchanged: the monthly flat fee is 385,000 liras ($4.29) for a maximum intensity of 5 amperes (A) and 685,000 liras ($7.64) for 10 A. For more than 10 A, the ministry applies a markup of 300,000 liras ($3.34) per 5 A increment.

For installations connected to a three-phase meter, such as elevators, an additional flat fee is calculated according to a reference capacity.

For example, an elevator powered by three 15 A phases should be billed only 985,000 liras ($10.98) by the generator owner, rather than 2,785,000 liras ($31.05).

Private generators have served as a stopgap to address Lebanon’s electricity production deficit since the civil war (1975–1990).