Nepra revises power tariff for K-Electric consumers

ISLAMABAD: After vacating the stay order of Sindh High Court (SHC), the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has revised upward the power tariff in the range of Rs2 to Rs4 per unit for consumers of K-Electric for higher slabs using electricity units of over 300 units per month.
In 2013 when the Nepra had determined a higher tariff at the national level, the K-Electric had obtained a stay order from Sindh High Court so its tariff remained lower than the national tariff. Now the stay order was vacated and after withdrawal of subsidy the power tariff for higher slabs increased in the range of Rs2 to Rs4 for consumers of K-Electric but this tariff was brought at par with national tariff being charged by the other discos from their consumers all over the country.
However, the spokesman of the Ministry of Water and Power said that the K-Electric tariff will be the same as that of rest of the country and it is not higher or increased as reported by the media.
The spokesman added that in fact the consumers of Karachi have been provided huge relief in the shape of non-billing of earlier stayed tariff on part of Sindh High Court since October 2013 till June 2014. The tariff of K-Electric in this period remained lower as compared to the rest of the country. Due to the court stay, the same could not be brought at par with the rest of the country. After the vacation of the court stay, Nepra issued the revised tariffs and it was imperative to bring the K-Electric tariff at par with rest of the country form October 2013, however the government did not burden the consumers and did not change the tariff till June 2014.
With vacation of the court stay now tariff of the K-Electric will come at par with tariff of rest of the country from 1st July 2014.It is important to note that the majority consumers, which come under 1-300 units slab will still remain under the same tariff as in 2013 like the rest of the country. For instance consumer of up to 50 units of consumption was paying Rs2/unit who will continue to pay the same, consumers consuming up to 100 units were paying Rs5.79/unit they continue to pay the same and consumers consuming up to 200 units were paying Rs8.11/unit and still continue to pay at the same rate.For rest of the categories of consumers will pay as per national level as rest of the country, the spokesman concluded.