TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A freeze on electricity rates for 880 businesses in sectors including restaurants, department stores, and movie theaters will end on Oct. 1, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said Tuesday (Sept. 19).

The electricity price review committee decided to leave prices as a whole unchanged but certain exceptions were made due to the post-COVID economic recovery, CNA reported. A freeze on power rates for businesses, including fitness clubs and gyms, restaurants, shopping malls and department stores, and theaters, would end.

For industrial consumers, previous price increases of 15% in July 2022 and of 17% in April 2023 were cut in half for sectors deemed to have been affected by the pandemic. As manufacturing was still struggling, the 50% reduction of rate increases was maintained for sectors including textiles, glass, and metals.

However, Tuesday’s decision means that the 880 businesses mentioned by the committee will see their electricity rates rise by 15% next month, according to the report.