Consumers set to enjoy 30 paisa tariff cut

Electricity consumers are set to enjoy a tariff reduction of up to 30 paisa per unit on account of fuel charges adjustment for February 2025.

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Wednesday conducted a public hearing to consider the request of power distribution companies (DISCOs) for a tariff reduction of 30 paisa. The hearing was presided over by Nepra chairman and attended by relevant stakeholders. During proceedings, the Central Power Purchasing Agency-Guarantee (CPPA-G) requested for slashing tariff by 30 paisa per unit under the monthly fuel charges adjustment mechanism. However, Nepra put off the decision, stating that it would make a detailed announcement after further scrutiny of the submitted data.

It noted that CPPA-G had consistently requested for tariff cuts as part of fuel cost revision for the past eight consecutive months. If approved, the proposed reduction will be applicable to all consumer categories of DISCOs except for lifeline consumers, protected customers, prepaid meter users and electric vehicle charging stations. Furthermore, it will not apply to K-Electric consumers.

The adjustment, proposed by CPPA-G on behalf of DISCOs, proposed a reduction of Rs0.2984 per unit compared to the reference fuel charges of Rs8.5276 per unit, as per the notified tariff.

According to data submitted by CPPA-G, a total of 6,945 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity was generated during February, with major contribution coming from hydel sources (27.12%), nuclear power (26.59%), re-gasified liquefied natural gas-based plants (14.11%), local coal-fired plants (15.02%) and imported coal (1.56%). Additionally, renewable sources, including wind and solar, contributed 2.50% and 1.22%, respectively.