ISLAMABAD: Consumers are set to receive immediate power tariff relief of Rs5.03 per unit within the coming days, confirmed National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) Chairman Waseem Mukhtar during a public hearing on Friday.
The hearing, held to deliberate on the government’s proposal to reduce tariff by Rs1.71 per unit through an additional petroleum levy of Rs58.6 billion for three months, highlighted NEPRA’s efforts to implement Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s announced relief of Rs7.69 per unit for industrial and Rs7.41 for domestic (non-lifeline) consumers.
Mukhtar explained that the Rs5.03 per unit relief will be provided promptly, with the remaining benefit to be reflected in the next Quarterly Tariff Adjustment (QTA) covering April to June.
Power Division Additional Secretary Mahfouz Bhatti noted the total subsidy amount has now increased to Rs266 billion. Deputy Director CPPA-G Naveed Qaiser added that factors including QTA impact, IPPs contract renegotiations, and petroleum levy savings have contributed to the tariff reduction.
Industrial representatives, including Aamir Sheikh and Tanveer Barry, welcomed the relief but sought clarity on the relief breakdown and timing of QTA adjustments.
In a key decision, NEPRA has also approved passing on Rs0.90/kWh in negative Fuel Cost Adjustments (FCA) to all non-lifeline and unprotected consumers for April to June 2025, amounting to Rs23 billion in relief. This amount pertains to previously retained FCAs from July 2024 to February 2025.
NEPRA clarified that this benefit will not apply to lifeline and protected domestic categories. Any over or under-recovery will be adjusted in future tariff petitions.
Story by Mushtaq Ghumman
