Like most people in Burma, residents of Ye Township in Mon State have problems paying their electricity bills. However, as the region isn't connected to the national grid, they're at the mercy of private companies that charge different rates per unit of electricity produced from diesel generators.

“We're afraid to turn on the lights,” one resident of Hkhaw Zer told NMG, who pays 79 cents per unit. Others pay between 45 and 56 cents per unit.

Before the military coup, a unit only cost about 20 cents, but during the year the price gradually increased. Currently, a litre of disel costs over $1.

Business owners who rely on electricity are struggling to cope with the exorbitant costs.