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The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) Friday approved a Rs 1.46 per unit hike in electricity prices on account of fuel charges adjustment (FCA) for the current month.
The regulatory authority announced the decision on a petition filed by the Central Power Purchasing Authority (CPPA) at the request of power distribution companies (DISCOs), which had demanded more than two rupees increase in power tariff.
The additional amount will be collected from consumers in bills for the month of September 2023.
The increase in electricity prices will not be applicable to the lifeline consumers and Karachi Electric’s customers.
It should be noted that over the weekend, the country was hit by a nationwide shutdown strike, with business owners closing in protest against high electricity tariffs and taxes. Markets in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and practically all of Pakistan’s major cities were shuttered on Saturday. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets to demonstrate.
The uproar started in the third week of August, as consumers began receiving their power bills for July. Electricity normally takes up 15% to 20% of an average Pakistani household’s income. But rates have jumped by 100% to 200%. Fed-up citizens started burning their bills and staging protests. There have also been multiple reports of suicides after people were hit with charges they could not afford.
