Govt seeks to raise power rate by Rs3.55 per unit

Wants to extract Rs146bn in quarterly tariff adjustment from consumers in six instalments to minimise ‘price shock’ ISLAMABAD: The rising electricity costs appeared to have put the power companies in a vicious cycle of declining consumption and shifting resultant additional capacity charges to consumers, compelling the government to seek staggered imposition of Rs146 billion quarterly charges in six months, instead of three months to minimise the ‘price shock’. The situation emerged at a public hearing organised by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on the government request for Rs5.40 per unit additional quarterly tariff adjustment (QTA) to consumers for April-June 2023 when the Power Division made a departure from its petitions. It requested that consumers should be charged at a rate of Rs3.55 per unit for six months, instead of Rs5.40 per unit for three months, to reduce the price shock on consumers still struggling to absorb 26pc increase in base national rates notified last month.