ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has increased the power tariff by Rs 2.83 per unit on account of Fuel Charges Adjustment (FCA) for electricity consumed in March 2024.
According to a NEPRA notification, this hike in electricity rate shall be applicable to all the consumer categories except Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS), K-Electric and lifeline consumers. The hike will be shown separately in bills on the basis of units billed to the consumers in March 2024.
This hike in power tariff will be charged from the power consumers of power distribution companies (DISCOs) in the month of May, 2024 while this increase will not be applicable to the consumers of K-Electric, said NEPRA notification.
While effecting the Fuel Adjustment Charges, the concerned DISCOs shall keep in view and strictly comply with the orders of the courts notwithstanding this order, said NEPRA’s notification.
Earlier, Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) submitted an application to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on the request of distribution companies (DISCOs) to increase the electricity price by Rs 2.9402 per kilowatt hour (kWh) under the head Fuel Charges Adjustment (FCA) of March 2024.
The CPPA, in its application, has claimed that the total electricity generated with various fuels in March 2024 was recorded a 8,023 GWh, at Rs 8.3109 per unit. The total cost of energy was Rs 66,680 million.
The power generation with the hydel source was 2,217 GWh (gigawatt per hour) constituting 27.63 percent with zero cost of power generation while power production with coal-fired power plants was 862 GWh (local coal) and the total power generated for Rs 14,459 million (Rs 16.7779/unit).
Similarly, the power generation from gas-based power plants was 795 GWh, 9.91 percent of the total generation, totaling Rs13.6857 per unit and the generation from Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) was 1,658 GWh, which was 20.67 percent of total generation, at Rs 22.1917 per unit.
Likewise, power production from bagasse was recorded at 78 GWh, the price of which has been calculated at Rs 5.9822 per unit. The electricity generated from wind was recorded at 205 GWh, 2.55 per cent of total generation and solar at 110 GWh, 1.37 per cent of the total generation in March 2024.
Moreover, electricity generation from nuclear sources was 2,070 GWh which came out at Rs 1.5488 per unit, 25.79 per cent of the total generation, and electricity imported from Iran was 28 GWh amounted to Rs 30.3729 per unit, 0.35 per cent of the total power generation in the said month of March 2024.
It is also learnt from the data submitted by the CCPA with NEPRA that net electricity delivered to DISCOs in March 2024 was 7,756 GWh (96.67pc) at a rate of Rs 9.3819 per unit, the total price of which was Rs 72,764 million.
It is relevant to note that in the February adjustment, NEPRA had increased the price of electricity by Rs 4.92 per unit, while in the January fuel charges adjustment, the price of electricity was increased by Rs. 7.6 per unit.
