Non-domestic consumers of the Electric Power Corporation (E.P.C.) or business owners are feeling the heat again from the revoking of the 20 per cent discount on electricity bills for all businesses.

In an interview with the Samoa Observer, the General Manager for E.P.C, Faumui Tauiliili Toimoana clarified that since the revoking of that bill took place, some consumers who registered their power permits as non-domestic consumers have returned to change their category to domestic consumers.

"When a person comes to register their permits there's that question we ask them, which category do we register them for whether it's domestic or non-domestic and if they have a business, they are registered under non-domestic even if it's a family house containing a business they all go under non-domestic," he explained.

"It's the category which your permit data is registered under that we target with the new changes now. It also depends on the time of the month you buy your units like if you purchase $50 to use for the month, the price is 52 cents per unit and if the units you use is over 50 then the next purchase will charge you 63 cents and that is if you're a domestic consumer.

"But if you're categorised under non-domestic consumer, then you will automatically be charged based on the new prices of the units there is now so it affects only those who are called non-domestic consumers."

Faumui explained that over 30,000 of families across Samoa are registered as domestic consumers and are not impacted by the new changes or prices to the electricity units due to the revocation of the 20 per cent discount.

The General Manager was also informed of some concerns from families without businesses who are possibly categorised under domestic consumers regarding their cash power units dropping down by double or triple the amount they purchase.

He said he is not aware of this but he does understand that some consumers who used to run businesses have not returned to change their category from non-domestic to domestic due to the new changes.

"For some families, we advised them to separate their businesses from their household because some families run their sewing business inside their family home," he added.

"Some families do come and change their categories because they don't have businesses anymore so we go out to do our surveys to confirm whether it's true and go through with the rest."