ISLAMABAD: Already burdened power consumers should get ready to bear a financial additional as a power tariff hike of Rs 4.99 per unit is on the cards on account of fuel charges adjustment (FCA) for February 2024.
Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), on the request of power distribution companies (DISCOs), has submitted an application to National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to increase the electricity price by Rs 4.9917 per kilowatt hour (kWh) under the FCA of February 2024.
Following this request, the NEPRA has called a public hearing on March 28, 2024.
In a public hearing notice, the NEPRA has invited all the interested/affected parties to raise written/oral objections as permissible under the law at the public hearing.
The CPPA, in its application, has claimed that the total electricity generated with various fuels in February 2024 was recorded a 7,130 GWh, at Rs 8,6950 per unit. The total cost of energy was Rs 61,996 million.
The power generation with the hydel source was 1,766 GWh (gigawatt per hour) constituting 24.77 percent with zero cost of power generation while power production with coal-fired power plants was 1,291 GWh (local + imported coal: 994+ 135 GWh) which was 15.83 percent and the total power generated for Rs 16827 million (Rs 34.4061/unit).
Similarly, the power generation from gas-based power plants was 787 GWh, 11.04 percent of the total generation, totaling Rs12.3794 per unit and the generation from Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) was 1,450 GWh, which was 20.33 percent of total generation, at Rs 22.0262 per unit.
Likewise, power production from bagasse recorded at 101 GWh, the price of which has been calculated at Rs 5.9822 per unit. The electricity generated from wind was recorded at 108 GWh, 1.51 per cent of total generation and solar at 90 GWh, 1.26 per cent of the total generation in February 2024.
Moreover, electricity generation from nuclear sources was 1,660 GWh which came out at Rs1.3213 per unit, 23.29 per cent of the total generation, and electricity imported from Iran was 26 GWh amounted to Rs 27.1968 per unit, 0.36 per cent of the total power generation in the said month of February 2024.
It is also learnt from the data submitted by the CCPA with NEPRA that net electricity delivered to DISCOs in February 2024 was 6,876 GWh (96.43pc) at a rate of Rs 9.4254 per unit, the total price of which was Rs 64,804 million.
It is pertinent to mention that this hike in electricity tariff would apply to all consumer categories, excluding specific groups.
