Islamabad: As if the miseries brought by the catastrophic floods and the already-inflated price of electricity were not enough, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Tuesday allowed power distribution companies (Discos) to hike power tariff by Rs3.39 per unit under the Quarterly Tariff Adjustment (QTA) mechanism.
Once applied, Discos will recover an additional amount of Rs95.145 billion from consumers for the 4th quarter of the fiscal year 2022
With Chairman NEPRA Tauseef H Farooqi in the chair, the regulator took up separate requests by 10 Discos seeking a combined additional QTA of Rs3.69 per unit for the fourth quarter (April – June) of FY22.
In order to cover capacity charges, transmission charges, market operator fees, the impact of transmission and distribution losses on fuel cost adjustments, and variable operation and maintenance charges for the fourth quarter, including the impact of additional recovery on additional sales, Discos requested a power hike.
The regulator approved an Rs3.39 rate hike and ruled that it should go into effect on October 1 in order to replace the current QTA of Rs3.21 per unit for the third quarter (January – March).
Discos would see a delayed recovery as a result, while consumers would only be burdened with an additional 18 paise per unit in costs. For three months, from October to December, the revised QTA of Rs3.39 per unit would be in effect.
NEPRA would formally notify its decision in a couple of days but said the QTA would be applicable to all consumers of Discos, except those in the lifeline category
June FCA: NEPRA allows distribution companies to collect additional Rs 9.9/unit in Aug bills
