People with limited incomes will not have to pay extra charges for water and electricity as they have not been included in the new amendments in this regard, Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al-Hussayen has clarified.

“The new tariffs are aimed at those segments of society who extensively consume water and electricity,” the minister was quoted as saying by local media on Tuesday.

The amendments in this regard were approved by the Saudi Cabinet recently.

“For example, 250 liters of water consumption per day will cost SR92 per month with the new tariff, and this is reasonable. We sincerely hope that with the new prices, people will start conserving water,” he said.

The minister urged the citizens to start making behavioral adjustments such as checking if there are leakage problems and start rationalyzing the volume of consumption.

The minister said an awareness campaign on rationalyzing the consumption of water and electricity, and on the installation of equipment to rationalize the use of water and how to reduce electricity consumption will be launched before the actual enforcement of the adjusted tariff next month.

Al-Hussayen said: “About 87 percent of the water and electricity bills issued this year will not be affected by the new price; only 13 percent of the total will feel the change.”

He asserted that low and medium incomes will not be affected by the rise in costs as 52 percent of households will not pay more than one riyal a day for water consumptions, or SR30 a month.

Commenting on the fee increase, he said that 90 percent of households will pay an additional of not more than SR5 a month. “It is a known fact that Saudi Arabia ranks third worldwide in terms of water consumption,” he said.

He said: “As Muslims, we are commanded by our religion and our Holy Qur’an and Hadith to rationalize in all expenses; otherwise, how could we work hard and ask God to grant us with his blessings and waste it uselessly?”

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