ISLAMABAD – A fresh electricity bill shock is looming for power consumers as NEPRA mulls proposed Rs2.52 per unit increase under July Fuel Price Adjustment.
National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has reserved its decision on a proposed Rs2.52 per unit increase under the July monthly Fuel Price Adjustment (FCA). If NEPRA approves the Central Power Purchasing Agency-Guaranteed (CPPA-G) request in full, consumers could collectively be forced to pay an estimated Rs36.54 billion in additional charges, with the impact potentially appearing in September electricity bills.
The proposed hike is not final yet as NEPRA completed proceedings on the request and reserved its decision. The actual impact on consumers will only be known once the regulator issues its final determination.
According to CPPA-G, the actual fuel cost of electricity generated in July stood at Rs9.61 per unit, against a reference fuel cost of Rs7.09 per unit. The difference of Rs2.52 per unit has prompted CPPA-G to seek the corresponding adjustment from consumers.
The request comes amid a sharp rise in electricity generation costs, with expensive imported fuels playing a major role. RLNG, imported coal and other costly fuel sources contributed to the higher generation bill during July. This shows a worrying picture as electricity’s fuel cost in July was approximately 38% higher than the same month last year.
CPPA-G data shows that electricity generated from imported coal cost approximately Rs16.33 per unit in July. Other figures presented before NEPRA show even more alarming generation costs. Electricity produced from imported LNG cost around Rs47.37 per unit, while generation from imported coal was reported at as much as Rs54.47 per unit in the data submitted to the regulator.
These higher generation costs have now translated into a proposed additional burden on electricity consumers.
Earlier this month, NEPRA approved Rs0.75 per unit additional charge under the June 2026 FCA, with the adjustment applied to bills issued in August.
For consumers, the most important point is that electricity has not officially become Rs2.52 per unit more expensive yet. The amount is currently only a CPPA-G request, and NEPRA has reserved its decision. The regulator could approve the request in full, approve only part of it, or reject it.
If approved in full, however, the proposed adjustment could mean billions of rupees flowing from consumers into the power sector and another substantial addition to electricity bills.
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