Karachiites to pay additional Rs1.55 per unit on quarterly FCA

• Additional amount will be charged in May to July bills.
• Amount will be charged under Jul-Sept 2022 FCA.
• Hike will not be applicable on lifeline consumers.

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has approved a hike of Rs1.55 per unit for KE consumers on account of quarterly fuel charges adjustment (FCA) for Jul-September 2022.

Karachiites will be charged an additional amount of Rs1.5547 in the next three month beginning from May to July 2023 — based on the electricity units consumed in July, August and September last year.

The regulator's decision came along with the schedule of tariff (SoT), where power consumers of all categories — including residential, commercial, time of use (ToU) consumers, electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS), general services, industrial sector, single point supply, agriculture tube wells, streetlights, and residential colonies attached to industrial premises — will be charged with an additional Rs1.5547 per unit in these three months.

However, lifeline consumers consuming less than 100 units per month will be exempted from this burden.

Nepra has issued the decision on the federal government's motion submitted to it with respect to the recommendation of a consumer-end tariff for KE. 

As per practice, the government maintains a uniform tariff across the country, and generally, the difference is adjusted through subsidy.

The Ministry of Energy has, therefore, requested for application of quarterly adjustments on KE consumers as applicable for XWDISCOs. 

The federal government filed a motion to the Nepra under sections 7 & 31 of the Nepra Act, 1997 read with rule 17 of Nepra Tariff (Standards and Procedure) Rules, 1998, for application of Quarterly Adjustment on KE consumers as applicable for XWDISCOs.

The power regulator on April 3, 2023 held a public hearing on the federal government’s motion with respect to the consumer-end tariff recommendations of the KE to adjust the tariff under the head of the Uniform Tariff Policy.

The ministry stated that the federal government is providing a subsidy of around Rs150 billion to KE during the current year.