THE decision by the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) on an application by Energy Fiji Ltd (EFL) last week for an emergency fuel surcharge adjustment will not be rushed.
FCCC chief executive officer Senikavika L. Jiuta said the submission was a critical one that warranted careful consideration.
“We do not wish to rush the assessment, it is a critical submission,” Ms Jiuta told this newspaper.
“While we understand the increased price volatility, we also must balance that households and businesses are not adversely affected during these extraordinary times. I can confirm that we are still assessing.”
EFL customers face an increase of 11 cents a unit (kWh) fuel surcharge in their electricity bills if FCCC approves the application.
However, they are being assured that any increase in fuel surcharge will be temporary.
“It will be assessed on a month-by-month basis, meaning its total duration will be directly tied to how long global fuel prices remain elevated,” Ms Jiuta said.
EFL had submitted its application to FCCC citing significant increases in fuel procurement costs due to recent volatility in global fuel markets, which it said has placed pressure on its short-term cash flow.
“Global benchmarks show that Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO – Singapore HSFO 380) increased by approximately 20–40 per cent, while Industrial Diesel Oil (IDO, linked to Singapore Gasoil) increased by around 25–50 per cent over March to April 2026,” Ms Jiuta said.
EFL’s fuel price shocks had forced its chief executive officer Fatiaki Gibson to issue a call last week for Fijians to reduce electricity consumption as “demand-side management is now critical”.
Global fuel prices have surged since the Israeli-United States war on Iran, which began on February 28, pushing up global benchmark Brent crude prices overnight, from an average of between $US65 to $US70 a barrel prior to the conflict to over $US100 barrel.
The FCCC meanwhile has deferred to July 31, 2026 the implementation of the new electricity tariff authorisation, whose determination pre-dates the war.
“This means that the current electricity tariff structure pursuant to the Authorisation dated October 1, 2019 remains unchanged during this period,” it said in a statement last Friday
“This deferment follows ongoing consultations and the need for further assessment of the proposed fuel surcharge submission by EFL, alongside broader economic considerations and the potential impact on households, businesses, and the energy sector across Fiji.”
