Electricity bills 2022-2023: Consumers to pay a Rs 7.9 per unit hike
Consumers will pay a Rs 7.9 per unit increase in their electricity bills in 2022–23 to cover the high cost of the base tariff.
National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Friday allowed the federal government to charge uniform tariffs to the end consumers of all power distribution companies (Discos) and K-Electric (KE) to pass on Rs 7.91 per unit in electricity bills for the financial year 2022–23.
The government will recover and increase Rs 7.91 per unit in three phases, i.e., July 2022, August-September 2022, and October 2022 onward.
Power Firms to recover Rs 893b extra from consumers in electricity bills 2022-23
Power distribution companies will recover an additional Rs893.83 billion from the consumers during the ongoing fiscal.
NEPRA had determined different consumer-end for each distribution company (XWDISCO) on June 2, 2022.
The tariff has been determined for the FY 2022–23, which on the national average is Rs.24.82/kWh, 47 percent higher by Rs.7.91/kWh than the earlier determined national average tariff of Rs. 16.91/kWh, Nepra said in a statement issued here on Friday.
The determined tariffs were intimated to the Federal Government.
The Federal Government, as per the NEPRA Act, had filed a motion to determine a uniform consumer-end tariff by NEPRA after incorporating subsidies and surcharges for all the XWDISCOs and K-Electric.
In the application, the federal government proposed to increase the base tariff in three phases for all distributing companies (DISCOs), including Karachi Electric (K-E). It proposed to hike the tariff by Rs. 3.50 per unit from July, Rs. 3.50 from August, and Rs. 0.91 per unit hike from October.
Meanwhile, Nepra held a public hearing on July 20, 2022. The Authority has approved the request of the federal government.
As per the request, the power firms will increase consumer-end tariffs in three phases, i.e., July 2022, August-September 2022, and October 2022 onward.
Furthermore, Nepra had not proposed an increase in power tariff for the Lifeline and Protected categories of consumers. Therefore, it will not reflect in their electricity bills in the financial year 2022-23. However, the said decision would be applicable once the Federal Government notifies the same, Nepra said.
PM okays increase in electricity
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has granted anticipatory approval to hike the base power tariff by Rs 7.91/unit.
On June 2, 2022, NEPRA approved a hike of almost 47 percent (Rs 7.91/unit) in base power tariff. After the decision, the national average base tariff will go up to Rs 24.82/unit from the existing determined national average tariff of Rs 16.91/unit.
Nepra Okays Rs1.5 per unit extra in electricity bill July 2022
Nepra Okays Rs1.5 per unit extra in electricity bill July 2022
The base tariff will likely go up to around Rs 29.034 per unit after implementing a 17 percent general sales tax on per unit electricity price.
After the approval of Nepra, the consumers will face another massive increase in base tariff, which power distribution companies would charge consumers in three phases.
Power division, in summary, submitted to Economic Coordination Committee in June 2022, recommended passing on an increase in base tariff to the consumers in three phases.
ECC had recommended increasing the base tariff by Rs3.5 per unit in July 2022, Rs3.5 per unit in August, and Rs0.91/unit hike in October 2022.
