NEPRA mulls record Rs5.62/unit hike in electricity prices

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has deferred its decision regarding the request from power distribution companies (DISCOs) to raise the electricity price by Rs5.6194 per unit, citing fuel charges adjustment (FCA) for December 2023. Earlier, the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), at the behest of DISCOs, submitted an application to NEPRA seeking an increase in electricity prices under the FCA for December 2023. NEPRA conducted a public hearing on January 31, 2023 (Wednesday), primarily focusing on the FCA for December. In its application, the CPPA claimed that the reference fuel cost for December 2023 was set at Rs5.403 per unit, but the actual fuel cost escalated to Rs11.022 per unit. The CPPA also submitted that the total electricity generated with various fuels in December was recorded at 97,726 GWh, priced at Rs10.1341 per unit, resulting in a total energy cost of Rs78,296 million.