The Malta Resources Authority yesterday approved new electricity tariffs that will see reductions of between 20 and 26 per cent in residential bills.

The new tariffs were proposed by Enemalta at the end of March and come into effect retroactively from April 1.

Bills for residences occupied by at least one person will go down by an average 22 per cent.

Families using up to 2,000 units will see a drop of 26.1 per cent, those using up to 6,000 units will benefit from a reduction of 22.5 per cent and those using up to 10,000 units of 19.6 per cent.

In all, 76 per cent of single-person households will see their electricity bills drop by 26 per cent; 73 per cent of two-person households will see a decline of 25 per cent and 76 per cent of three-person households will see a decline of 24.3 per cent.

More than 80 per cent of four-person households should see a decrease of 23.8 per cent and 82 per cent of five-person households will see a drop of 23.7 per cent.

Properties with no registered inhabitants, including garages and common areas in apartment blocks, would now fall under a new "domestic" category, for which rates remain unchanged.

Businesses, factories, companies and industries, as well as churches, homes for the elderly and the disabled, and schools which do not operate for profit, should also benefit from lower bills.

Nearly 90 per cent of businesses which use less than 20,000 units of electricity in a year can expect to see a 29 per cent reduction in their bill.

Only electricity tariffs were changed. The water tariffs will remain the same as those established last year because the cost base for water production remained practically unchanged.