Electricity Unit Price Likely to Increase by Rs 3.49

After a hearing at NEPRA, a decision has been reserved and will be issued after reviewing the data. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has reserved its decision on the request to increase the electricity price by Rs. 3.49 per unit. The decision will be announced after an analysis of the statistics.

According to Dawn News, the hearing on the request was chaired by NEPRA Chairman Waseem Mukhtar. The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) has requested an increase in the fuel adjustment for April.

During the hearing, CPPA officials stated that the industry is not utilizing the available gas, and electricity consumption remained very low in April due to improved weather conditions.

NEPRA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa member questioned why LNG consumption was high in April. CPPA officials explained that since the LNG was pre-imported, it was used more for electricity generation.

Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) officials mentioned that the temperature in April was 1.5 degrees lower compared to the previous year, and production from hydro plants was low due to maintenance. Solar, wind, and coal production were at full capacity.

NEPRA Balochistan member inquired about the reduction in demand due to solar power during the day. NPCC officials stated that solar power reduces electricity demand by 400 to 500 megawatts during the day, but as solar production decreases at night, electricity consumption increases during peak hours.

Subsequently, the hearing on the request to increase electricity prices by Rs. 3.49 per unit was completed, and NEPRA reserved its decision regarding the price hike.

NEPRA will issue the decision and notification after examining the data. The fuel adjustment for April will be applied to June bills. If the request to increase the electricity price by Rs. 3.49 is approved as is, consumers will bear an additional burden of approximately Rs. 35 billion. The monthly adjustment will not apply to lifeline and K-Electric consumers.

It is noteworthy that on May 20, the request to increase the electricity price by Rs. 3.49 per unit was submitted to NEPRA.