The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has approved Rs1.90 per unit reduction in power price for Ex-Wapda distribution companies (Discos) for under monthly fuel adjustment formula.
On a petition filed by Central Power Purchase Agency (CPPA), presided over by Nepra Chairperson Tariq Saddozai, power regulator concluded that distribution companies had charged Rs6.776 per unit in May because fuel cost to consumers but actual fuel cost was Rs4.8 per unit. This amount will be adjusted in consumers’ electricity bills and would have accumulative impact of around Rs19 billion.
Nepra chairperson said authority will approve the investigation report on prolonged power breakdown in Karachi within a week. The report, on power tripping and prolonged load shedding, was prepared by a five-member investigation team while briefing the press.
The five-member investigation team had held K-Electric and Hesco responsible for this load shedding and advised Nepra to take legal action against them and also proposed penalty on them and also termed transmission and distribution system as outdated.
Depending on the investigation, electricity situation in Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco) is also pathetic. Central Power Purchase Agency (CPPA) had sought in its petition for a reduction of Rs1.8957 per unit for May. The Nepra after hearing decided a reduction of Rs1.9 per unit.
This adjustment/relief adjustment will be available to domestic consumers in entire Pakistan, except in Karachi and lifeline consumers. The reason for not providing relief to consumers of K-Electric is that it is a privatized company and distributing its own generated electricity to consumers in Karachi and is not covered under this determination. Besides consumers of K-Electric, relief will also not be available to lifeline consumers consuming up to 300 units per month, as they are already being provided subsidized electricity.
According to existing data, given by CPPA, total generated electricity from all sources, during May stood at 11023.85 Gigawatt hours (GWh) at a total cost of Rs53.698 billion. The CPPA supplied 10880.88 GWh to distribution companies at a cost of Rs53.105 billion. Transmission losses were recorded at 1.11 percent of the total supplied electricity.
In May, 30.17 percent power was generated from hydel sources, 30 percent was generated from furnace oil by Rs9.4/unit, 17.64 percent was generated from natural gas at a rate of Rs4.4378/unit. Around 7.78 per cent power generation produced through imported re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) based sources at Rs7.114/unit. From nuclear sources, 4.4pc electricity generated at a cost of Rs1.0457/unit. The share of Diesel based generation stood at 3.69pc with generation cost of Rs14.7119/unit and coal based power share was 2.15pc in overall energy pie and its generation cost was 0.11/unit.
From Wind 1.91 percent electricity produced, 1.03 percent from Bagasse for 5.986 per unit, solar based generation stood at 0.57 percent. Besides, 49.48 GWh or 0.45 percent electricity was brought from Iran with the cost of Rs10.63 per unit.