Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan has proposed increasing the basic monthly electricity consumption allowance from 200 to 350 kWh for residents of areas without gas connections or with unreliable natural gas supplies.
The proposal is based on an analysis of actual electricity consumption during winter and existing social support measures.
Deputy Economy and Finance Minister Khurshid Mustafayev announced the proposal at a press conference on 14 October dedicated to planned tariff changes and support for households during the autumn-winter period.
Mustafayev said two main factors were considered when preparing the proposal. The first was the existing assistance mechanism for low-income families. Under this scheme, the Social Protection Agency compensates eligible households for the difference between basic and higher tariffs on an additional 150 kWh above the current 200 kWh allowance. This enables these families to pay the basic rate for that additional volume.
The second factor was an analysis of winter electricity consumption in areas without gas connections. According to the figures presented, around 60% of households in these areas consume up to 300 kWh per month in winter. Based on this analysis, the authorities proposed setting the basic allowance at 350 kWh.
According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, around 4 million households in Uzbekistan are not connected to gas networks and use alternatives, including liquefied petroleum gas in cylinders. Some other areas have unreliable centralised gas supplies, with pressure falling or deliveries temporarily stopping during the heating season.
To identify such areas, the authorities analysed household gas supply data for the period from 2 December 2025 to 13 March 2026. The proposed higher allowance would apply not only to areas without gas connections but also to locations experiencing interruptions in natural gas supplies.
However, the press conference did not provide separate estimates of potential budget costs for setting the allowance at 500 kWh, a level proposed during earlier discussions.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved the proposal to raise the allowance on 6 October. A draft government resolution was published for public discussion on 13 October.
According to materials prepared by the authorities, an analysis covering September 2025 to August 2026 showed that during the heating season, the share of consumers without gas supplies using more than 200 kWh of electricity per month rises from around 25% to 39%.
The share of households consuming up to 200 kWh falls from 74% to 61%. The proportion using 201–350 kWh rises from 17% to 19%, while the share consuming 351–500 kWh increases from 5% to 9%. The proportion using more than 500 kWh rises from 3% to 10%.
The number of households connected to gas networks but experiencing difficulties obtaining natural gas also varies significantly depending on supply conditions. According to the authorities, between 2 December 2025 and 17 March 2026, the number ranged from around 5,000 on some days to as many as 607,000 on others.
The proposed increase would reduce the electricity tariff for monthly consumption between 201 and 350 kWh from 900 soums to 650 soums per kWh, a reduction of nearly 28%.
The authorities estimate that the new allowance would cover around 80% of consumers in areas without gas connections. More than 1.5 million consumers could save a combined total of approximately 171 billion soums over the heating season. Average savings are estimated at around 27,500 soums per household per month.
For households consuming 250 kWh per month, bills would fall by 12,500 soums; at 300 kWh, savings would reach 25,000 soums; and at 350 kWh, they would amount to 37,500 soums.
The higher allowance is proposed to take effect on 1 November 2026 for the heating season. In Karakalpakstan and Khorezm Region, it would apply from October to February, while in other regions it would run from November to February.
Regional administrations would approve lists of households experiencing gas supply difficulties based on proposals from the Uzenergoinspektsiya energy inspectorate, Hududgazta’minot and Regional Electric Networks.
The authorities have also previously proposed providing one-off payments of 1 million soums in November to more than 1 million families in need. In addition, they plan to expand eligibility for compensation covering electricity, gas and coal costs and extend the payments.