Karachiites not to bear NEPRA latest electricity hike: KE

• The electric supply company said that power utility refuted the claim that this increase would be borne by consumers.
• Nepra increased KE's tariff by 38 percent or Rs 4.87 per unit to Rs 17.69 from Rs 12.82 per unit across the board for 11 quarters from Jul-Sep 2016 to Jan-Mar 2019 under quarterly adjustment formula.

Karachiites would not borne the burden of the latest electricity price hike by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), informed power utility K-Electric.

With reference to the recent quarterly tariff adjustment announced by NEPRA for K-Electric; the electric supply company said that power utility refuted the claim that this increase would be borne by consumers.

KE clarified that the government maintains a uniform tariff across the whole country thus the increase to the consumers if any, would be to the extent of maintaining uniformity across the country and would be notified by the Ministry of Energy.

It added that that the tariff adjustments were mainly on account of increased furnace oil price, gas prices and swapping of local gas with RLNG by SSGC and are in line with the approved tariff adjustment process.

Just days ago, Nepra increased KE's tariff by 38 percent or Rs 4.87 per unit to Rs 17.69 from Rs 12.82 per unit across the board for 11 quarters from Jul-Sep 2016 to Jan-Mar 2019 under quarterly adjustment formula.

According to Nepra reconsideration request in the matter of K-Electric, MYT 2017 for the period from FY 2016-17 to FY 2022-23 (07 years) was decided by the Authority on July 05, 2018, whereby an average sale rate of Rs 12.8172/kWh was approved.

K-Electric challenged the decisions of the Authority in the Sindh High Court (SHC), whereby the SHC granted stay order regarding notification of the determined tariff. K-Electric afterwards, withdrew its petition from the SHC after which the MYT 2017 of K-Electric was notified on May 22, 2019.

As per the mechanism provided in the MYT 2017 determination, the Authority has to review and revise the approved tariff on monthly, quarterly and annual basis in accordance with the prescribed adjustments mechanism.