The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) hearing a petition of power companies approved 50 paisa per unit hike in electricity tariff on Wednesday. The power companies had filed petition for recovery of 17 billion rupees on account of adjustment in second quarter of the current year.

After conclusion of the hearing the NEPRA announced to release a detailed judgment after review of the figures. “An adjustment of Rs3.58 per unit has already been in force, while an application for over Rs3.00 per unit surcharge has also been filed,” Nepra said. “It will be too much in a month, don’t be so cruel with consumers,” Chairman Nepra remarked. “A big difference of transmission charges adjustment has been in this quarterly, the amount would have dropped by 11 billion in absence of these charges,” chairman said.

“PESCO’s capacity charges have been in negative, while the company’s consumer complains about load shedding,” NEPRA chief said.” “There should be an anomaly at somewhere when the PESCO saying it was not utilizing its full capacity. The IPPs are being given capacity payments and electricity not being used to the capacity,” he said.

Nepra summoned report from Pesco about its full capacity utilization of electricity. ” Don’t control losses and hold load shedding, it is very easy solution,” member Nepra KP said. “They didn’t implement our report about power blackout”, Chairman Nepra said. The electric power regulator, in the end approved per unit 50 paisa per unit hike in the electricity tariff.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP