Consumers to Face Rs5 Per Unit Hike in Electricity Bills
Staff Report
Consumers should brace themselves for another electric shock as they are likely to face another increase of Rs 5 per unit in electricity bills in March 2024.
Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) has requested an increase of Rs 4.9917 per unit in tariff due to fuel charges adjustment (FCA) for February 2024.
In January, consumers experienced an increase of over Rs 7 per unit due to fuel adjustments.
In a petition presented to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on behalf of Ex-Wapda Discos (XWDiscos), the CPPA stated that the reference fuel charge for February was Rs 4.4337 per unit, whereas the cost of energy delivered to Discos was Rs 9.4254 per unit.
They requested an increase of Rs 4.9917 per unit over the reference charges on account of FCA for the month. This increase also incorporates previous adjustments of Rs 0.5484 per unit. Check IESCO Bill Online| Download IESCO Duplicate Bill April 2023
If NEPRA accepts the petition in its entirety, electricity consumers will bear an additional burden of over Rs 40 billion (FCA+GST). NEPRA will conduct a public hearing on March 28, 2024, to consider the petition.
A breakdown of the data reveals varying costs across different generation sources, ranging from Rs 1.3213 per unit for nuclear to Rs 27.1968 per unit for electricity imported from Iran. No electricity was generated from High-Speed Diesel and Furnace Oil during the month.
The CPPA, in its application, stated that the total electricity generated with various fuels in February was 7,130 GWh (gigawatt per hour), priced at Rs 8.6950 per unit. The total cost of energy amounted to Rs 61,996 million.
According to the petition, 6,876 GWh at Rs 64,804 million had been delivered to Discos, with 3.53% transmission losses.
The data reveals that power generation from hydel sources was 1,766 GWh in February, constituting 24.77% with zero cost of power generation, while power production from coal-fired power plants was 1,129 GWh (local + imported coal: 994 + 135 GWh).
The share of local coal was 13.94% at Rs 14.1863 per unit, while the share of imported coal was 1.89% at Rs 20.2194 per unit.
Electricity generated with local gas was 787 GWh (11.04%) at Rs 12.3794 per unit, 1,450 GWh or 20.33% RLNG-based electricity was generated at Rs 24.2952 per unit, 1,660 GWh or 23.29% power generation was from nuclear-based plants at Rs 1.3213 per unit, and imported Iranian energy cost Rs 27.1968 per unit during February.
Power generation from bagasse was 101 GWh in February, contributing 1.41% to the national grid at Rs 5.9822 per unit. Electricity generated from wind was recorded at 108 GWh, 1.53% of total generation, and solar contributed 90 GWh or 1.26% of the total generation in February 2024.
