The government has sought policy guidelines from the power regulator for transferring the burden of a staggering Rs52 billion to the consumers on account of fuel charges adjustments (FCAs) for the months of June and July, 2022
The National Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) would calculate this amount under the period of eight months starting from the next month to October 23, 2023 in accordance with the recovery rates mentioned for XWDISCOs and K-Electric
Moreover, the government also requested Nepra to issue policy guidelines under Section 31 of the Regulation, Generation, Transmission, and Distribution of Electric Power Act 1997 for the recovery of FCAs applicable to the consumers for the months of August and September 2022
The federal cabinet, through circulation, has already approved the recovery of Rs52 billion on account of the two FCAs
Nepra had determined FCAs of Rs9
8972 per unit and Rs4
3435 per unit for the months of June and July 2022, respectively
The amount of FCAs for both the months was supposed to be charged in the billing months of August and September 2022, respectively, for XWDISCOs
For the consumers of K-Electric, the regulator had determined an increase of Rs9
8972 per unit on account of FCA to be charged in the August 2022 billing cycle
Similarly, the K-Electric tariff was increased by Rs8
0909 per unit on account of FCA for June 2022 -- that was supposed to be charged in September 2022
As the July FCA was negative Rs4
1171 per unit, the consumers were supposed to pay only an additional Rs3
9738 per unit instead of Rs8
0909 per unit hike determined by Nepra on account of the June FCA
The rebasing of uniform tariff determined by Nepra and recommended by it as the "final tariff' for publication in the official gazette was notified by the federal government to not burden the consumers disproportionately in a sequence of Rs3
5 per unit in July 2022 and Rs3
5 per unit in August 2022
Consumers were hit by Rs9
8972 per unit of the FCA in addition to Rs7 per unit of rebasing simultaneously in the August billing
This is an average increase of Rs16
90 per unit over and above the July rates
The adjustments in tariff significantly increased the electricity bills for the months of August and September 2022
Moreover, the extensive floods because of the abnormally heavy monsoon rains also affected consumers across the country
Under this scenario, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to recover the XWDISCOs and K-Electric FCAs applicable to consumers in August and September 2022
Now, after succumbing to the pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the government has finally allowed the Power Division to recover the amount of FCAs from the consumers
Following the cabinet’s approval, the burden of Rs52 billion on account of FCAs would be transferred to the power consumers
To extend the flood relief to a limited class of domestic consumers, the federal government in giving effect to its economic and social policy objectives, is issuing guidelines to make adjustments on account of the variation of fuel charges in the approved tariff of XWDISCOs and K-Electric to the extent of recovery as follows: Non-ToU (time-of-use) domestic (protected) consumers having 200 units of consumption would only pay Rs3
8972 per unit FCA in the August 2022 billing month
The remaining FCA of Rs6 per unit (from the total of Rs9
8972 per unit) would be recovered subsequently
Non-ToU domestic (protected) consumers having 300 units of consumption and private agricultural consumers would not pay any FCA in the August 2022 billing month
A sum of Rs9
8972 per unit FCA would be recovered subsequently
Non-ToU domestic consumers having consumed 300 units during the month of July 2022 would not pay any FCA in the September 2022 billing month
An amount of Rs4
343 5 per unit FCA would be recovered subsequently
Non-ToU domestic consumers of K-Electric having 300 units of consumption during the month of July 2022 would not pay any FCA in the September 2022 billing month
A total of Rs3
9738 per unit FCA (after passing on the negative FCA of 4
l 171 per unit for the month of July 2022 to consumers having a consumption of 300 units) would be recovered subsequently
The policy guidelines as approved by the federal government for recovery of FCAs applicable to consumers for the months of August and September 2022, under Section 31 of the Regulation, Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act, 1997, has been conveyed to Nepra for its consideration
The federal government intended to implement the deferred FCA recovery with effect from March 1, 2023
It has requested that a hearing opportunity be provided for detailed submissions including a session with the technical professional team of the authority prior to the hearing
Nepra will conduct a public hearing on March 2, 2023
Date: | 25-Feb-2023 | Reference: | View Original Link |
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