ISLAMABAD: Consumers of electricity will have to bear an additional burden of about 25 per cent (Rs1.87) per unit in four months (May-August) because of tariff adjustments notified by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra).

Notified under monthly fuel adjustment mechanism, the fresh tariff will not apply to consumers using less than 50 units per month, known as ‘lifeline consumers’.

According to four separate notifications released on Thursday, the fuel-based tariff has been increased by 45 paisa and Rs1.002 per unit to be recovered from consumers in June and August, respectively.

The raise is over and above Rs1.67 per unit fuel-based increase in tariff to be recovered from consumers in May. The increases have been allowed on account of high furnace oil prices and bad energy mix during the September-January period.

Simultaneously, Nepra notified a reduction of Rs1.25 per unit in tariff for the billing month of July. As such, the overall tariff will increase by Rs1.87 per unit to be recovered from consumers until July 2012.

The power regulator said the revised tariffs would apply to all categories, except lifeline consumers of distribution companies of Wapda. “The adjustment will be shown separately in bills on the basis of units billed to consumers.” Under the law, Nepra has been empowered to directly pass on to the consumers the impact of fuel cost every month without seeking any approval from the government.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the cabinet committee on restructuring presided over by Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh on Thursday could not take a decision on another tariff notification which would have regularised about 12 per cent tariff increase already recovered from consumers in recent months owing to legal complications.

It also failed to take a final decision on the appointment of chief executive officers of distribution companies currently being run by senior officers on an acting charge basis.

The appointment of fulltime chief executive officers and chief financial officers had been one of the key steps for restructuring the loss-making power companies. The appointments have been pending for more than six months because of various procedural difficulties.