NEPRA hikes power tariff by whopping Rs7.91 per unit

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Already overburdened by inflation, increased oil prices, food items, Pakistanis were in for a shock when the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Thursday decided to increase the power tariff by Rs7.91.

According to a notification issued by the regulatory authority, the average national tariff for 2022-23 has been fixed at Rs 24.82.

The NEPRA has sent the tariff to the federal government after which the federal government will issue a notification on the average increase.

According to the regulatory authority, the reason for the tariff hike is capacity cost, rising fuel prices in the global market and depreciation of the rupee.

The Rs 7.91 hike in power tariff came two days after NEPRA approved an increase of Rs3.99 per unit in the power tariff on account of fuel cost adjustment (FCA) for the month of April 2022.

This decision had placed an additional burden of Rs51 billion on the power consumers while the price hike will not apply to K-electric and lifeline users.

A hearing was held in NEPRA over the proposal to raise the price of power tarrif by Rs 4.5 per unit. The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), while applying for the April fuel price adjustment, stated that 12.55 billion units of electricity were generated last month.

It is pertinent to mention that the talks between the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) took place in Doha, the capital of Qatar, in which the international lender demanded the government increase in electricity tariffs and prices of petroleum products after which the govt on May 26 increased the prices of petroleum products by Rs 30.