Seoul: The government has announced a relaxation in the tier system governing electricity bills to alleviate financial pressure on households as the nation braces for a record-breaking heat wave this summer, a ruling party lawmaker revealed on Tuesday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Rep. Kim Woni of the ruling Democratic Party stated that since early this month, the government has been providing energy vouchers worth 701,300 won (US$507) each to underprivileged households. Additionally, the government has increased the ceiling on discounts for electricity prices for these families to 20,000 won per month.

The Korea Electric Power Corp., a state-run entity, has been easing the tier system for electricity bills during the months of July and August since 2019. The threshold for the first-tier electricity rate has been adjusted from under 200 kilowatt-hours (kWh) to under 300 kWh. Similarly, the second-tier range has been modified from 201-400 kWh to 301-450 kWh, and the third-tier from over 401 kWh to over 451 kWh.

Kim noted an anticipated surge in electricity demand this summer due to the expected heat wave. He emphasized that the ruling party and the government are committed to ensuring sufficient power supply capabilities to meet this demand.