Fesco consumers to pay more

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has increased power tariff for the consumers of Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco). However, domestic consumers using up to 200 and above 1000 units have been exempted from this hike. Nepra, in its revised determination, increased tariff by 26 paisa per unit from Rs 5.50 to Rs 5.76 per unit for domestic consumers using 300 to 1000 units per month.
Power rates for commercial consumers have been raised by Rs 1.05 per unit (from Rs 5.75 to Rs 6.80) for consumers requiring up to 20 kw load, whereas the consumers exceeding 20 kw load would pay Rs 242.88 as fixed charges with tariff of Rs 6.51 per unit. The regular consumers would pay Rs 3.50 per unit.
In the commercial category Time of the Day (ToD operational peak) tariff would be charged at Rs 4 per unit while ToD optional off-peak rates would be Rs 2.75 per unit. Minimum charges for single phase connection would be Rs 150 and three-phase connection Rs 300.
The regulator has proposed an increase of 71 paisa per unit for industrial (B1) from Rs 4.50 to Rs 5.21 per unit, 42 paisa for B2, 58 paisa for and 62 paisa for B4 category. ToD tariff for category B2 peak hours has been increased by 61 paisa, B2 off peak hours by 54 paisa, B3 peak, 58 paisa for B3 off peak, 26 paisa and B4 category 91 paisa.
Tariff for agriculture Scarp tube-wells goes up by 31 paisa per unit to Rs 5.06 from Rs 4.75 per unit while other agriculture tube-wells would bear 37 paisa per unit increase.
Nepra also increased tariff for public lighting by 58 paisa per unit from Rs 6.00 to Rs 6.58 while raise for residential colonies attached to industrial premises would be 44 paisa per unit.
Sources told this scribe that Nepra has dispatched its determination to the Ministry of Water and Power which would issue notification which would be published in the official gazette.
The revenue accruing to Fesco on the prevailing rates is estimated as Rs 29,846 million against the estimated revenue requirement of Rs 26,359 million for fiscal 2005.