Nasibullo Muhammadjonov, chief specialist of the Ministry of Energy, stated on the UzReport TV podcast “Huquqiy nigoh” that the upcoming increase in electricity and natural gas tariffs is due to the need for indexation at the inflation rate.

“Tariffs are not being raised repeatedly. According to the relevant government decision, energy tariffs for 2026 were indexed relative to the inflation rate. This means that as inflation rises, energy tariffs should increase proportionally,” the ministry representative said.

According to the Statistics Committee, annual inflation in Uzbekistan slowed to 7% in April, reaching a multi-year low.

Muhammadjonov explained that the price revision is driven by the need to upgrade energy infrastructure — building new substations, modernizing existing ones, and installing new transformer points. Refusing to raise tariffs could lead to disruptions in the energy system, lagging modernization, and even a halt in the construction of new networks.

Moreover, if tariff increases are rejected, the burden on the state budget would increase, as these works would have to be financed from budget funds. This would reduce allocations for social services, healthcare, and education.

The Ministry of Energy representative reported that electricity and gas tariffs will rise by an average of 10%. Within the social norm — up to 200 kWh — the electricity tariff will increase by 8% (from 600 to 650 soums), and for consumption between 200 and 500 kWh — by 12% (from 800 to 900 soums).

A government decision last year established a mechanism for annual price increases for energy resources starting from May 1, 2026, taking into account the inflation rate but not exceeding 10%. The new tariffs are differentiated for households and legal entities.

Source: www.gazeta.uz