ISLAMABAD: Amid protests over skyrocketing electricity bills, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Friday asked power distribution companies to charge consumers Rs 1.46 per unit as part of the monthly Fuel Charges Adjustment (FCA).
The regulator said the decision was taken under section 31(7) of the Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act, 1997 as amended by the Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (Amendment) Act, 2011. has been modified.
The FCA will apply to “all categories of consumers except Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) and Lifeline consumers”.
“The said adjustment will be reflected in the customer bills separately based on the bills sent to the customers in the month of July 2023. XWDISCOs will reflect the fuel charges adjustment with respect to July 2023 in the billing month of September 2023.” Nepra’s notification said.
Last week, Nepra had highlighted that expensive imported coal inventory held by coal-based power plants, particularly the Sahiwal Coal Power Plant, system limitations such as the HVDC transmission line’s full transport of cheap power from southern generators. I was imposing, failing. A significant financial burden on electricity consumers.
The latest hike in electricity rates comes at a time when consumers are already burdened by record inflation and high fuel and electricity prices.
Due to nationwide protests due to hike in power bills, consumers should expect a total burden of Rs 24.76 billion in their September 2023 bills as 14 billion units were sold in July. were
International Monetary Fund (IMF) set up in Islamabad under the leadership of Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar after continuous protests by citizens and businessmen who took to the streets against the exorbitant increase in electricity bills and increase in taxes. trying to attract (IMF) will agree to provide immediate relief to electricity consumers in the cash-strapped country, where people are already reeling from skyrocketing inflation.
It is important to note that the South Asian country is under the IMF program and any relief or subsidy is subject to its approval.
The two sides are engaged in intense negotiations as people take to the streets against high electricity bills.
A day ago, sources told JEE News that after intense discussions, the IMF had given the green light to the proposal for relief for consumers using up to 200 units, allowing authorities to collect electricity bills in installments. Permission granted.
“Final approval of bill collection in installments will be taken from the federal cabinet,” sources said, adding that the move is likely to provide temporary relief to around 4 million electricity consumers.
However, the fund rejected the interim government’s plan to provide relief to consumers of up to 400 units of electricity per month, sources said, adding that 32 million consumers could have benefited if the proposal had been approved.
He added that the Washington-based lender has stressed the need to crack down on electricity and gas thieves and improve recovery.
In addition, sources say that the fund had also demanded a 45 to 50 percent increase in gas tariff from July 1, but the increase in gas tariff is subject to the approval of the federal cabinet.
