Another power shock for nation

Electricity becomes further expensive by Rs1.55 per unit

ISLAMABAD:

The power tariff on Friday was increased by Rs1.55 per unit, giving another electric shock to the nation.

The hike will take effect on the first of the ongoing month and it is in line with the second quarterly adjustment of the previous financial year.

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has already issued a notification for the tariff hike and it will impose an additional burden of Rs39 billion on electricity consumers.

Additional recovery from power consumers will be notified for three months.

The notification will not apply to lifeline and K-Electric customers.

A day earlier, Nepra had approved a hike in power tariff by Rs7.90 per unit.

According to a notification issued by the power regulator, the increase was made under fuel adjustment charges for the month of June, following a demand from the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CCPA) for a hike of Rs7.96 per unit.

Nepra had made the decision after conducting a hearing on the plea of CCPA.

The hearing was presided over by Nepra Chairman Tauseef H Farooqi. Nepra members Engineer Rafiq Ahmed Sheikh and Engineer Maqsood Anwar Khan were also present.

The CCPA had submitted an application for an increase of Rs7.96 per unit, Nepra said. According to the preliminary examination of the data, Nepra had worked out an increase of Rs7 per unit.

The amount would be received in the bills of July, the regulator said, adding that lifeline and K-Electric consumers were exempted from the tariff hike.

Earlier in April, the power distribution companies had charged Rs3.99 per unit on account of fuel adjustment, which was for a month only. The distribution companies would charge Rs3.91 per unit more than April in July bills under the monthly fuel adjustment.

Earlier this month, Nepra had approved another increase in electricity for K-Electric customers by Rs9.66 per unit.

The increase in electricity prices had been made in the context of May's monthly fuel adjustment. According to K-Electric officials, the company had a financial burden of Rs380 billion.

Commenting on the matter, the Nepra chairman had said that if the company was experiencing difficulties in providing cheap electricity then it might seek the electricity regulatory authority’s help. “We are ready to talk to the federal and provincial governments for cheap electricity,” he added.

It may be noted that on June 25, the power regulator had approved an increase of Rs5.27 per unit in the electricity tariff of K-Electric on account of the fuel cost adjustment for April 2022.