The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Wednesday approved Rs.1.25 per unit in power tariff for May under monthly fuel adjustment formula.
The Central Power Purchase Agency Guarantee Limited (CPPA-G) has sought Rs 1.32 increase in power tariff for the month of May. The regulator allowed increase in tariff after hearing presided over by NEPRA members Himayat Ullah Khan and Saif Ullah Chattha.
Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Power Division Fida Muhammad also attended the hearing.
In a petition submitted to National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), the CPPA-G maintained the cost of per unit remained at Rs.6.6123/kWh against the reference fuel charges of Rs.5.2908/ kWh per unit fixed for May.
The CPPA-G sought an increase of Rs.1.32 in the tariff. However, the regulator allowed Rs.1.25 hike in power tariff. The consumers will bear Rs.15.70 billion due to price hike.
The regulator was told that a total 12,117.67 Gwh electricity was generated during the said period. Some 18.30 per cent electricity was generated through hydel, 12.12 per cent from coal, 19.30 per cent from furnace Oil, 16.27 per cent from gas, 23.85 from RLNG, 5.41 per cent from nuclear and 2.38 per cent from wind during the said period.
Responding to a query of Senator Fida Muhammad, member NEPRA Himayat Ullah Khan said the consumers have to bear maximum burden of system inefficiency, technical and administrative losses while some part of it was parked into circular debt.
He said being a regulator, NEPRA was making efforts to protect the rights of consumers.
The regulator was further told that more electricity was generated through coal and RLNG this time as compared to last year.
Himayat Ullah said cheap gas was being provided to GENCOs which have low efficiency. “Had this gas is supplied to efficient Independent Power Producers (IPPs), more low cost electricity can be produced,” he said.
He said on one side expensive gas was being purchased from Qatar at Rs.13 per unit but on other hand, Rs.6 per unit was not being given to Balochistan for purchasing cheap gas.
