Electricity tariff hikes announced for Argentina's Comodoro Rivadavia and Colombia's Caribbean coast

In Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina, the Sociedad Cooperativa Popular Limitada (SCPL) has lodged a request to raise electricity rates, proposing increases ranging from 4.2% for public lighting to 44% for subsidised users. The request, justified by higher wholesale market costs, will be examined at a mandatory public hearing on 6 July convened by the public‑services regulator ENCOSEP.

In Colombia’s Caribbean region (Atlántico, Magdalena and La Guajira), the state‑intervened distributor Air‑e announced a tariff increase of about 5.5%, setting the new price at 840.15 COP per kilowatt‑hour. The rise is linked to El Niño‑related lower reservoir levels, reduced hydro generation and higher demand from air‑conditioning, which together have driven up wholesale electricity prices. The adjustment will affect most users, with subsidised households seeing only a small CPI‑linked increase, while other consumers face the full new rate.

Both regions cite market conditions and regulatory formulas as the drivers of the higher electricity bills, sparking concern among consumer groups.