NEPRA announces electricity rate hike for Karachi

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Friday announced a significant increase in electricity rates for Karachi, raising the tariff by Rs10.1 per unit.

The notification specifies that the rate hike is part of monthly fuel cost adjustment (FCA). Consumers will face an additional charge of Rs2.68 per unit in June, which will further increase to Rs3.11 per unit in July.

The extra cost will continue to rise, with an additional Rs3.22 per unit in August, before seeing a smaller increase of Rs1 per unit in September.

NEPRA clarified that these increments will not affect K-Electric and lifeline consumers as well as the electric vehicle charging stations.

Yesterday, NEPRA increased the power tariff by Rs3.33 per kilowatt hour (kWh) on account of fuel cost adjustment (FCA) charges for the month of April 2024.

The consumers of power distribution companies (Discos) will bear this additional burden in the current month's bills.

The adjustment of Rs3.33/kWh shall be applicable to all the consumer categories except Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS), lifeline consumers and consumers of K-Electric as well, a Nepra notification stated.

“The said adjustment shall be shown separately in the consumers' bills on the basis of units billed to the consumers in the month of April 2024. Discos shall reflect the fuel charges adjustment in respect of April 2024 in the billing month of June 2024,” the notification added.

The Discos are directed that while charging the FCA from their consumers, the order of the honorable court(s), if any, be kept in mind and ensure compliance with the order(s) of the court(s), whatsoever, in this regard, the Nepra decision on FCA of April 2024 said.

In case of non-compliance of court(s) order the concerned Discos shall be held responsible for violating/defying the orders of the honorable court(s), it added.