The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Thursday reserved its judgment on a petition seeking raise in the power tariff under the head of fuel price adjustment. To the displeasure of power consumers, it is widely speculated that the electricity price will be hiked by Rs1.95 per unit, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) filed a petition to the Nepra praying to increase power tariff by Rs2.07 for the month of August in the fuel price adjustment. 

The CPPA pleaded that last month electricity was produced by diesel and its generation cost was Rs22.62 per unit. While, the generation cost of electricity that was produced by furnace oil was Rs18.24. Thus the CPPA requested Nepra to allow Rs2.07 per unit hike in the power tariff. 

Nepra has completed its hearing on the CPPA petition and reserved its decision. 

Mepco admission 

The Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) has confessed to the overbilling in the month of May acknowledging to sending electricity bill for 37 days instead of 31 days of the month, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The National Electric and Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Thursday heard a complaint filed by power consumers against the electricity distribution companies, Discos. 

The Mepco CEO confessed in the hearing that the power company had sent extra bill to the consumers in the month of May. It sent the bills for 37 days instead of 31 days and next month, it dispatched power bills for just 26 days. 

The CEO pleaded that the mistake was occurred due to the lockdown holidays that were started from May 8 to May 16. Due to the absence of reading staff, the bill reading was flawed, he added. 

The CEO further informed the Nepra chairman who was hearing the complaint that 8 out of 20 batches were affected by the overbilling.

Censuring Mepco and other discos, the Nepra chairman said that the Discos had done a great injustice to 5.2 million consumers. He rejected the arguments of Discos. 

 

Reporter Awais Kiyani