ISLAMABAD:
The National Electricity Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has allowed power distribution companies (Discos) and K-electric (KE) to levy a deferred fuel regulation surcharge of up to Rs 14.24 per unit on electricity consumers.
Energy companies will collect this surcharge from customers for eight months from March to October 2023.
Companies will charge Rs 10.34 per unit from domestic protected customers using zero to 200 units per month, Rs 14.24 per unit from unprotected customers using zero to 200 units per month, Rs 14.24 per unit from 201 to 300 units per month and Rs 14.24 per unit from Private Agricultural customers. 9.90 per unit at Rs.
The entire amount will be collected from electricity consumers in installments from March to October 2023.
The government was supposed to issue this fuel amendment for June and July 2022. However, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced its postponement.
KE customers
The power regulator has also allowed Karachi-based power distributor K-Electric to charge consumers a deferred fuel regulation surcharge of up to Rs 13.87 per unit.
KE will charge Rs 9.97 per unit from domestic protected customers using zero to 200 units per month, Rs 13.87 per unit from unprotected customers using zero to 200 units per month, Rs 13.87 per unit from those consuming 201 to 300 units per month and Rs. 9.90 per unit from individual agricultural consumers.
KE will also recover the amount from March to October 2023.
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According to the NEPRA decision, the Ministry of Power has notified the federal government to restructure the unified tariff so that the consumers will not be charged proportionally in the order of Rs 3.5/unit in July 2022 and Rs 3.5/unit in August 2022 respectively.
Consumers hit Rs 9.8972 per FCA unit and Rs 7 per recalculation unit simultaneously in August 2022. This is an increase of Rs 16.90 per unit on average compared to July 2022.
These tariff revisions significantly increased electricity bills for August and September 2022.
In addition, devastating floods due to extremely heavy monsoon rains have also affected electricity consumers across the country. Under this scenario, the Prime Minister decided to suspend the recovery of FCAs due in August and September 2022.
However, the government delayed its implementation.
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During a public hearing held by the energy regulator, the Ministry of Energy reiterated its position that the FCA charges due in August and September 2022 have been deferred for some categories of customers to provide relief in view of the base tariff revision. flood.
It is noted that it has increased by an average of Rs 16.90 per unit over and above the July 2022 tariffs, as the above revisions in the tariff have significantly increased electricity bills for the months of August and September 2022.
During the hearing, the consumers strongly objected to the recovery of the delayed surcharge and asked the electricity regulator not to increase the electricity bill so much.
