Chile's Superintendencia de Electricidad y Combustibles (SEC) has instructed electricity distributors to delay billing adjustments for the 2020-2024 period until July 2026, instead of April. The decision follows requests from lawmakers and industry groups amid economic pressures. Energy Minister Ximena Rincón called it positive news for Chilean families.
On Friday, Chile's Superintendencia de Electricidad y Combustibles (SEC) notified electricity distribution companies to postpone for four months the collection of a debt exceeding US$800 million, related to tariff adjustments for the Value Added Distribution (VAD) from 2020-2024. Originally set to start April 1 with an average bill increase of $1,450, the billing will now begin in July 2026.
The move came after requests from lawmakers in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate, the Association of Distribution Companies, and the National Federation of Electric Cooperatives, citing the need to ease burdens on households amid economic challenges. "This measure does not alter the legal obligation to perform the adjustment, but postpones its application due to exceptional circumstances, to safeguard public interest and reduce impact on homes," the SEC clarified.
Energy Minister Ximena Rincón stressed that "in the context we are living, the hike represents pain for families." She added that the ministry is working on a payment formula for this debt owed by all customers, without hurting pockets. Deputy Minister Hugo Briones said they hope to resolve this "inherited problem" from the previous government before July.
The distributors' guild supported the delay, pointing to international conditions affecting Chile's market, and expressed willingness to collaborate on mechanisms to mitigate effects on families and businesses. The announcement follows recent fuel price rises: $370 for gasoline and $580 for diesel, linked to the Middle East conflict.
Earlier, former bimonthly Minister Álvaro García had proposed a bill to spread payments over 48 months with subsidies for the 40% most vulnerable, but Rincón noted no final formula yet, per presidential mandate.
