The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) is going to raise the power tariff by Rs1.25 per unit for the domestic consumers, who are already reeling from the worst impact of the recent increases in the power tariff.
The decision is expected to put a Rs23 billion burden on the consumers and the federal government would officially announce it soon.
The decision comes after a hearing held by Nepra on fuel adjustment in electricity prices, focusing on the quarterly adjustment from July to September. The detailed decision is yet to be announced, but Nepra officials have confirmed the Rs1.25 per unit increase for power consumers nationwide.
At the hearing, Nepra officials said that a total increase request of more than Rs22.56 billion had been put forward. They highlighted a reduction in electricity purchases by Distribution Companies (DISCOs) during July, August and September.
Over the three-month period, the total electricity purchase have declined by 9.5 percent, with DISCOs procuring 38 billion units instead of the anticipated 42 billion.
Despite the possibility of a negative adjustment, Nepra officials said the increase in electricity bills had already been reflected in consumers’ payments across all DISCOs. Concerns were raised about billing accuracy, with reports of 10 to 12 cases of over-billing identified in each DISCO.
