Price hike to take heat off power firms

China raises on-grid electricity tariffs today, in a move to reduce domestic power producers' losses and help boost supplies.

The on-grid price of power supplied by the country's coal-fired plants will rise by 0.02 yuan (0.28 US cent) per kWh - an average of 5 percent - beginning today, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on its website yesterday. The retail power price will remain unchanged.

The government will continue its price controls on coal used for power generation, said the NDRC, the country's top economic planning body.