산업부, 누진제 완화 전기요금 지원대책 발표<br /><br /> The unprecedented heat in Korea this summer has a lot of people worried about their power bills.<br />It's been dangerously hot, in fact, so they've had no choice but to run the air conditioning.<br />This afternoon, the government laid out a plan to reduce people's electricity expenses... by adjusting the progressive billing rate for households.<br />Kim Ji-yeon reports. <br /> The Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Paik Un-gyu, announced plans Tuesday to ease the burden on households from electricity bills during this summer's heatwave... by changing the billing system for July and August.<br />The progressive billing rates will be revised so that the first two stages are each 1-hundred kilowatt hours higher,... meaning the lowest tier applies until usage hits 300 kilowatt-hours... and the second tier goes until 500.<br /> For example, a household of four using 350 kilowatt-hours of electricity in a month... would only have to pay 58-U.S. dollars -- down 25-and-a-half-percent from the current rate.<br />On average, the ministry estimates that more than 15-million households will save 10-thousand won or around 9 dollars a month... when their bills arrive as soon as this week.<br /> Though the discount applies to every household in principle, for those whose bills for July have already come, the ministry says they'll get the savings next month.<br /> In terms of how much extra the heatwave is going to cost people, the vast majority of households -- 89 percent -- are expected to see their bills rise by less than 9 dollars.<br />That's based on analyis by the ministry of more than 4 million households.<br />Those who're going to owe more than 44 dollars extra... are only one-percent.<br /> The ministry also unveiled mid-to-long term plans to improve the current progressive tariff system... by conducting test cases later this year and implementing the changes by 2021.<br />It also says it'll expand discounts for nearly 3 million low-income families and households with babies to help them stay safe in the summer weather.<br />Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News. <br />
