KARACHI: Electricity tariff for the K-Electric has been revised upward and will be applicable from the next billing cycle, it emerged on Tuesday.

Sources in the power utility told Dawn that residential customers consuming between 301 and 400 units would be charged Rs16 per unit and those consuming more than 400 units would be paying Rs18 per unit under the new power tariff regime.

A KE spokesperson said that the revised tariff was notified by the minister of energy on May 22.

The revision was in line with the consumer-end tariff charged under the uniform tariff policy applicable across Pakistan, he said, adding that no increase had been made in the rates for residential consumers having consumption up to 300 units.

“As per the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s (Nepra) tariff terms and conditions notified in the SROs dated May 22, 2019, issued by the Ministry of Energy (Power Division), electricity tariff for K-Electric consumers has been revised upward and will be applicable from the next billing cycle,” the spokesperson said.

Under the new tariff regime, he said, certain terms and conditions have been revised including the implementation of time of use (ToU) billing where eligible consumers will be charged based on their consumption during peak and off-peak hours.

“Moreover, bank charges and meter rent will no longer be charged to customers,” he added.

The spokesperson said that a new “A3 General Services” tariff category had been introduced and criteria for lifeline consumers and industrial consumers having tariff category B1 and B2 had been revised.

“In addition, Rs3 per unit relief provided to industries under the industrial support package has now been merged into consumer-end tariff and this adjustment will no longer be shown separately in electricity bills,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2019