K-Electric has requested the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to increase the per unit price of electricity by Rs3.45 for the month of September.
The Nepra will hear the appeal from K-Electric on November 3. If the request is approved, the increase will mean an additional burden of Rs6 billion on Karachi consumers.
A day earlier, the Central Power Purchasing Company (CPPC), too, sent an application to the Nepra demanding increase in the electricity tariff by Rs2.65 per unit under the fuel adjustment price. It argued that the increase in tariff was due to a surge in diesel, furnace oil and LNG prices.
The Nepra will hear the CPPC appeal on October 27. Its approval will add an additional burden of Rs20 billion on consumers.
While CPPC and K-Electric have demand increase on the account of fuel adjustment, the federal government has asked the Nepra to increase the base electricity tariff.
Federal Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar revealed last week that the government had asked the Nepra to increase the power tariff to stem Pakistan’s soaring circular debt.
“An increase of Rs1.39 a unit will be applicable to power tariff from November 1,” he said. “This will not be applicable on consumers using less than 200 units of electricity.”
The minister said that Pakistan was now self-sufficient in electricity. The government, he said, was targeting to increase the demand. “We introduced an industrial package last year which has been successful as we have seen a 15% increase in demand,” he added.
