ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Tuesday cleared Rs2.90 per unit additional fuel cost adjustment (FCA) for consumers of K-Electric (KE) on account of electricity consumed in January amid confusion over the implementation of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s announcement for Rs5 per unit discount in uniform tariff.

Chairing the public hearing on KE’s request for Rs3.40 per unit increase in its monthly FCA, Nepra chairman Tauseef H. Farooqui said the prime minister had announced Rs5 per unit relief in countrywide electricity rates but it was yet unclear how this would be implemented.

Mr Farooqui said Nepra was looking into the matter and would soon hold a meeting with the energy minister and secretary Power Division for clarity on the mechanism for relief implementation. He said what needed to be examined is how the relief would be passed on to consumers in months when FCAs stay lower than Rs5.

The Nepra chief said it appeared the KE’s gas challenges were not going to end soon and hence based on data provided over alternative fuel mix the regulator had no option but to disallow imprudent costs to be charged to the consumers. After such adjustments, he said the KE’s FCA had been worked out at about Rs2.90bn.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2022