Power consumers to be repaid Re0.31/unit in Jan bills

ISLAMABAD: Owing to reduced oil prices in international market, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has asked the power distribution companies (DISCOs) to reimburse more than Rs0.31/unit to the power consumers in their electricity bills of January 2019.

The power regulator decided this cut on account of fuel price adjustment for November 2018 in a public hearing held here on Thursday. After this cut, DISCOs would accumulatively reimburse around two billion rupees to the power consumers in January.

The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA-G) on behalf of DISCOs presented the case before the regulator. In its petition the CPPA said it had charged consumers a reference tariff of Rs5.0497 per unit in November while the actual fuel cost turned out was less than the amount i.e. 4.71/unit charged and hence it asked the regulator that it should be allowed to decrease the rate by Rs0.3338 per unit.

The CCPA also requested to allow it adjustment of five billion rupees, but Nepra made conditional that after verification of their claims it would take decision on it. This adjustment will be available to domestic consumers throughout Pakistan, except for K-Electric consumers. Domestic consumers using up to 300 units per month will also be excluded from the adjustment.

Contrary to previously more use of high speed diesel and furnace oil for power generation, this month there was zero use. Besides, furnace oil use for electricity generation was also less than a percent in totalpower generation pie.