Rs4.66/unit hike in Jan 2024 power bills sought

ISLAMABAD: Power Distribution Companies (Discos), excluding K-Electric, are pursuing an additional financial burden on already-strained power consumers.

The Discos are seeking approval from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to levy an extra Rs4.6617 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) on consumers in the January 2024 bills. This sought-after increase stems from fuel charges adjustment (FCA) for November 2023.

The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), on behalf of Discos, has applied with the Nepra to raise electricity prices under the November 2023 FCA. Nepra has scheduled a public hearing on December 27 to review the November FCA. In a public hearing notice, NEPRA has invited all interested or affected parties to present written or oral objections as permitted by law during the public hearing. According to the CPPA’s application, the total electricity generated in November amounted to 7,547 gigawatt-hours (GWh), priced at Rs7.1704 per unit. The overall energy cost was Rs54.113 billion.

Hydel power contributed 2,755 GWh (36.50%), incurring zero power generation costs. Coal-fired power plants produced 1,473 GWh (13.08%), with a total cost of Rs15 billion (Rs15.27/unit), combining local and imported coal sources (987 + 486 GWh).

Gas-based power plants generated 695 GWh (9.21pc) at Rs14.6197 per unit, while Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) contributed 798 GWh (10.57pc) at Rs23.7171 per unit.

Additionally, power from bagasse amounted to 27 GWh at Rs6 per unit. Wind power recorded 148 GWh (1.96pc), and solar power contributed 50 GWh (0.66pc) of the total generation in November.

Nuclear power sources produced 1,572 GWh (20.83pc) at Rs1.2071 per unit, while electricity imported from Iran accounted for 30 GWh (0.39pc) at Rs27.7281 per unit. Data from CPPA-G submitted to Nepra indicates that the net electricity delivered to Discos in November was 7,288 GWh (96.57pc) at a rate of Rs9.444 per unit, with a total cost of Rs68.834 billion.