Pakistan's power regulator approves PKR 5.94/ kWh increase in January billing

Islamabad [Pakistan], March 12 (ANI): Pakistani electric power regulator, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Thursday allowed ex-Wapda distribution companies to charge an additional fuel cost of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 5.94 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) unit from consumers for consumption during January this year.
Nepra noted that the energy from costlier residual fuel oil (RFO) and high-speed diesel (HSD)-based power plants were generated of over PKR 43.62 billion during January 2022, Pakistani newspaper Daily Times reported on Friday.
The petition filed by distribution companies claimed that the total energy generated in January was 8,797 Gigawatt hours (GWh) at PKR 107.5 billion, which is PKR 12.2199/unit. Of these, the net electricity delivered to the distribution companies were 8,420.73 GWh with transmission losses of 330.85 GWh.
As compared to the previous months, the most expensive source of energy generation, including high-speed diesel (HSD) and residual fuel oil (RFO) were consumed more, which also increased the total cost of generation. Meanwhile, the cheaper (renewable) one's share reduced as well as the share of the Re-Gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG)-based power has also reduced significantly.
The furnace-based electricity was generated of around 1,238.11 GWh with a unit cost of PKR 22.807. The energy generated from imported RLNG was 626 GWh, of the total generation with a cost of PKR 16.703/unit. And the HSD-based energy was generated of 592GWh, costing PKR 25.98/unit, according to the Daily Times.
Earlier, in February, Nepra said that the power tariff can be increased by PKR 5.95 against the demand of PKR 6.10.
Even, in January, Nepra allowed ex-Wapda an increase of PKR4.3 per kWh in the applicable tariff of power distribution companies on account of variations in fuel charges for November 2021, Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune reported on January 14, 2022. (ANI)