Universal subsidy programmes for energy prices have proven not to ease people's living costs over the long term, notes an analyst. The Oil Fuel Fund Office said earlier it intends to revise its energy price subsidy programmes to focus on groups who desperately need help, rather than implementing universal schemes. Environmentally, subsidising energy prices for a long time could hamper efforts to promote efficient energy consumption, part of climate change campaigns, according to energy analysts. If policymakers prolong energy price subsidies, people will be less concerned about saving energy and ways to improve energy consumption, leading to greater use of fossil fuels, said Mr Praipol. More battery energy storage systems are also being used to serve as back-up electricity, so the AP is no longer needed.

Source: Bangkok Post January 20, 2026 23:24 UTC