NEPRA raises electricity tariff by Rs1.15per unit

In another shock to the already overburdened power consumers, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Wednesday increased the electricity tariff by Rs1.15 per unit as part of the quarterly adjustments.

The latest hike in the tariff would put an additional financial burden of Rs22.29 billion on the power consumers.

The new rate will apply from Jan 2024 to Mar 2024.

This surge in power tariff is set to impact all consumer categories except Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS), lifeline consumers, and K-Electric consumers. The hike was approved on the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) plea.

As per the CPPA plea, the total power produced in November was 7,547 gigawatt-hours (GWh), priced at Rs7.1704 per unit, while the overall energy cost was Rs54.113 billion.

Hydel power generated 2,755 GWh (36.50%), incurring zero electricity generation costs. Coal-fired power plants contributed 1,473 GWh (13.08%), with a net cost of Rs15 billion (Rs15.27/unit), including local and imported coal sources (987 + 486 GWh).

Gas-based plants generated 695 GWh (9.21pc) power at Rs14.6197 per unit, while Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) contributed 798 GWh (10.57pc), at a cost of Rs23.7171 per unit.

Moreover, power from bagasse amounted to 27 GWh at Rs6 per unit and wind power recorded 148 GWh (1.96pc). Solar power produced 50 GWh (0.66pc) in November.

Nuclear power plants produced 1,572 GWh (20.83pc) at Rs1.2071 per unit, while electricity imported from Iran accounted for 30 GWh (0.39pc) at Rs27.7281 per unit.