Jeannette Jara Demands Refunds After CNE Error and Unveils Plan to Cut Chilean Power Bills by 20%

Jeannette Jara's Vital Electricity Consumption (CEV) plan would guarantee a discounted 85 kWh monthly block for every household in Chile—covering essentials like lighting, refrigeration, communications, and basic home use—and aims to cut electricity bills by an average of 20%.

The Citizen

15/10/2025 6:55pm

Presidential candidate Jeannette Jara responded to new disclosures about methodological errors in calculations by Chile’s National Energy Commission (CNE) that may have distorted electricity rates since 2017. In a post on X, Jara called the situation \»unacceptable\» and urged that households be reimbursed for amounts overcharged.

\»Years ago, the National Energy Commission built a pricing formula with a methodological error dating back to 2017—unacceptable. That failure comes on top of the tariff unfreezing process, which has pushed electricity bills up more than 70% in recent months, hitting Chilean families hard. It is intolerable for a technical mistake to drag on for so long,\» she wrote.

The former labor minister stressed that acknowledging the mistake is not enough; authorities must take responsibility and return improper charges to affected families. \»Knowing how worried people are about making ends meet, our platform proposes a mechanism that cuts electricity bills by an average of 20%,\» she added.

Vital Electricity Consumption

Jara’s proposal—branded Vital Electricity Consumption (CEV)—would guarantee a reduced tariff for basic energy use in every household nationwide. The plan sets a discounted 85 kWh monthly block, enough to cover essential needs such as lighting, refrigeration, communications, and basic household use.

According to her program, the CEV would lower the price of that block by 40%, delivering an average 20% reduction on power bills. The mechanism would be implemented through special energy purchases and short-term competitive tenders, passing fair prices directly to consumers without altering existing contracts.

Jara’s message comes amid public anger over surging electricity tariffs, which have jumped more than 70% in recent months. Her approach diverges from one-off tariff adjustments or temporary subsidies, pushing a structural reform of the power system that puts household budgets first.