The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) approved on Tuesday a Rs3.99 per unit hike in electricity tariff on account of fuel cost adjustment for April 2022, reported Aaj News.
In a hearing conducted to consider the Central Power Purchasing Agency’s (CPPA) petition for fuel cost adjustment for April 2022, the authority stated that the increase will be applicable on customers for one month only. In the petition, CPPA had demanded Rs4.05 per unit hike in the power tariff.
Nepra added that the upward revision will apply to customers of all power distribution companies except K-Electric and lifeline energy consumers.
A detailed decision will be issued by the authority after thorough investigation.
KE’s tariff up by Rs4.8/unit for March
“Customers are a priority for us and they are suffering due to soaring fuel costs,” said Nepra Chairman Tauseef H Farooqi. “Expensive fuel cost is causing an increase in electricity prices.”
Prices of coal and furnace oil are soaring in the international market, he added.
He expressed concern that some areas of the country were experiencing 18 hours of load shedding per day. He directed power companies to focus on resolving all the problems related to the power sector.
Farooqi asked participants not to prioritise those power plants in the economic merit order that do not receive gas. He was informed that cheaper power plants had suspended production due to absence of fuel supply.
Last month, Nepra approved a hike of Rs2.86 per unit on power tariff as part of its fuel cost adjustment (FCA) for March 2022. This placed a monthly burden of over Rs28.9 billion on the country's electricity consumers other than those served by K-Electric.
Nepra approves Rs2.86 per unit increase in power tariff for March
For K-Electric customers, the tariff was hiked by Rs4.83 per unit.
Earlier in May, Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan said that electricity tariff would go up for the time being due to high international oil prices.
Power tariffs to rise for now: govt
He underlined that the government was mulling shifting to solar generation instead of coal generation to achieve a cost effective energy mix.