K-Electric consumers to face high power bills in next nine months

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has notified adjustments in the approved tariff on account of variation in fuel charges from July 2016 to June 2019 in respect of K-Electric, allowing it to collect it from consumers.

The regulator has allowed the K-Electric to collect these adjustments in next nine months from the power consumers. However, it has directed the privatised utility that it shall collect it from all consumer categories except life-line consumers consuming less than 50 units a month.

The determination for these months has been made under monthly fuel charges adjustment (FCA)—a system designed to adjust monthly electricity fees based on fluctuations in (actual recorded) fuel prices for crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal.

Nepra has allowed K-Electric to collect six-month [July-Dec 2016] fuel charges adjustment (FCA) which is Rs1.4596/unit from consumers in their January 2020 bills.

Another six months’ (Jan, Feb March, August, October in 2017 and March 2018) the regulator has notified their FCAs with combine impact of Rs1.8619/unit, the authority has allowed the company to collect it from consumers in their February 2020 bills. Another seven-month (July, Sept, Nov, December of 2017 and Jan, April and June of 2018) combine FCA of Rs1.6503/unit would be collected from power consumers in their electricity bills of March 2020.

Another Rs1.1175/unit extra would be collected from consumers in their electricity bills of April 2020 on account of FCAs for previous months of April-May-June 2017 and February and March of 2018.

Besides, Rs1.4068/unit extra would be charged in consumers’ bills of May 2020 for FCA of the months of September-October 2018 and February 2019. In June 2020, Rs0.871/unit would be extra charged from consumers on account of FCA the regulator has decided for the months of March-April-May 2019.

The regulator has also decided the FCA for July-August 2018, these months combine FCA of Rs1.1664/unit would be charged in July 2020.

In August 2020, the consumers will have to face the extra charges of Rs1.2005/unit in their August 2020 bills. This amount has been worked out on the basis of FCAs of November-December 2018 and January 2019.

Another Rs1.4748/unit extra would be collected from consumers in their September 2020 bill on account of FCA of June 2019.

The regulator has mentioned K-Electric shall show separately in the consumers' bills on the basis of units billed to the consumers in the respective month to which the adjustment pertains. The company shall reflect this fuel changes adjustment in respect of each month in the billing month.