Electricity Tariff

Roberto Díaz del Valle, a leading hotel operator, says rising electricity tariffs are squeezing operating costs and threatening hotel revenues, while warning that reforms to energy law alone will not solve ENEE's crisis.

Finance Minister Emilio Hércules said reducing an electricity rate hike requires a large fiscal cost to the state, since the tariff increase was originally set at 21.5%.

The president of Honduras's renewable energy association says the recent electricity rate increase stems from global fuel prices rather than non-renewable generators, and calls for greater investment in clean energy to reduce dependence on imported fuel.

Former Energy Secretary Erick Tejada says Honduras's state power company needs eight years to recover from deep structural problems, and warns that the government's no-subsidy policy is pushing electricity rate increases onto ordinary Hondurans.

Experts warn that a recent increase in power tariffs will drive up costs for basic foods, dairy, meat, and other essentials, as 85–90% of consumer products rely on electricity in production and storage.

Honduras's state utility ENEE increased residential, commercial, and industrial electricity rates by 12.48% effective July 1 through September 30, raising monthly bills by roughly that percentage across all customer segments.

Vice President of Congress Godofredo Fajardo introduced a bill to block a 12.82% electricity rate increase announced by the energy regulator, keeping the price at 5.32 lempiras per kilowatt-hour instead of allowing it to rise to 5.98 lempiras, citing the burden on household budgets and business costs.

Honduras's electric utility regulator approved a third rate increase for 2026 effective July 1, expected to raise bills 5–10% through September, pushing year-to-date increases to nearly 15% amid inflation above target and lempira depreciation.

An energy analyst at the ASJ warns that Honduras's next power-rate adjustment could increase due to rising fuel prices and the country's heavy reliance on fossil-fuel generation, citing a lack of competitive bidding that has forced ENEE to rely on costly spot-market contracts.

International oil prices have fallen to around $82 per barrel, but energy sector representatives warn fuel prices in Honduras could take four to six months to reflect the decline due to exchange rates, import costs, and other market factors.

Samuel Rodríguez, a renewable energy generator, said electricity rates are due for adjustment because high fuel prices driven by the US-Iran conflict are raising energy production costs.

Honduras's power regulator confirmed a third-quarter rate increase taking effect July 1, driven by higher generation costs, fuel prices, and lempira depreciation; the exact percentage will be announced within days.

The head of the Cortés Chamber of Commerce warned that a new increase to electricity rates will reduce competitiveness in the industrial region.

A 12.48% increase in electrical rates for the third quarter of 2026 is straining micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in the San Pedro Sula region, which say they cannot absorb the cost hike without losing competitiveness.

Engineer Salomón Ordoñez warned that a 12.48% increase in electricity tariffs will raise living costs and dampen foreign investment, urging transparent bidding and cuts to power-system losses to stabilize rates.