By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: The power regulator on Wednesday approved an increase in electricity tariffs for consumers across the country, including those of K-Electric Ltd., the main supplier in the largest city Karachi.
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) said it had allowed a quarterly adjustment of Rs22.3 billion for the first quarter of the 2023-24 fiscal year, to be recovered from consumers in three months from January to March 2024.
The adjustment, which amounts to Rs1.15 per kilowatt hour, was due to variations in capacity charges, fuel costs, and other factors, the regulator said in a statement.
The regulator also approved another quarterly adjustment of Rs1.72 per kilowatt hour for K-Electric consumers for the second and third quarters of the previous fiscal year, following a policy decision by the federal government to apply uniform tariffs across the country.
The combined impact of the two adjustments means that K-Electric consumers will have to pay an additional Rs2.87 per kilowatt hour for the next three months, the regulator said.
The regulator said it had held public hearings on the matter and addressed the legal issues raised by some stakeholders.
Pakistan is facing a chronic power crisis due to insufficient generation, transmission, and distribution capacity, as well as high losses and theft.
The government has been trying to reform the power sector and reduce subsidies but faces resistance from traders and manufacturers who complain of high tariffs and frequent outages.
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