ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has allowed federal government on Wednesday to increase electricity rates by Rs1.1502 across the country to collect over Rs22 billion from the power consumers.

The increase has been allowed under quarterly tariff adjustment on the request filed by the XWDISCOs for Periodic Adjustment in Tariff for the first Quarter July-September 2023.

The authority said that after conducting hearing on the matter in November 2023, it allows the positive quarterly adjustments of Rs22,297 million pertaining to the first quarter of the fiscal year 2023-24, to be recovered from the consumers of XWDISCOs in a period of three months i.e. January 2024 to March 2024, as per the category wise rates mentioned in the SoT.

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The Authority added that the federal government issued Policy Guidelines to Nepra, dated 22.08.2023, ratified by the Federal Cabinet, for uniform application of quarterly adjustments on XWDISCOs and K-Electric consumers.

The policy guidelines state that Nepra shall determine the same tariff rationalisation for K-Electric consumers as determined for XWDISCOs consumers, with same application period.

The authority further stated that it has decided to allow the application of instant quarterly adjustments on the consumers of K-Electric as well, with the same applicability period. Accordingly, the instant quarterly adjustment of Rs1.1502/kWh shall also be charged from the consumers of K-Electric, to be recovered in a period of 03 months i.e. January to March 2024, as per the category wise rates mentioned in the SoT attached herewith.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023