Nepra orders Discos, KE to refund Rs1.78 per unit in Sept bills

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has ordered state-run power distribution companies and K-Electric to refund consumers Rs1.7856 per unit in September electricity bills, citing overcharging in July.

The regulator paired the decision with a warning from its technical member, who blamed chronic governance failures for mounting power costs and reliability issues.

The refund is part of July’s monthly fuel charges adjustment (FCA) review, where Nepra found consumers had been billed more than actual fuel costs. For the first time, FCAs will be applied uniformly nationwide under a federal Cabinet decision ratified on Aug 29, with KE customers now receiving the same adjustments as other utilities. The policy began with June 2025 bills and any gaps will be met through subsidies or cross-subsidies.

Nepra also directed that KE consumers, who missed a Rs0.7772 per unit refund in August, will see the adjustment in September bills, based on June consumption. The refunds will apply to all but lifeline, protected, EV charging, and prepaid customers.

In a sharply worded note, Nepra’s technical member blamed persistent governance failures for rising generation costs, inflated fuel charges, and worsening outages, citing years of delays in major energy projects and grid upgrades.