Pakistan Faces Another Electricity Price Surge Amid Energy Cost Concerns

Pakistan's NEPRA is advised to hike tariffs, imposing an additional PKR 8.73 billion burden on consumers amidst rising utility costs. The proposal aims to address the country's spiraling energy expenses, with a hearing scheduled for November 20, further impacting citizens' financial planning.

Pakistan's National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has been recommended to increase electricity tariffs nationwide, according to ARY News. The planned adjustment, part of a quarterly review, is set to add an additional financial strain of PKR 8.73 billion on consumers already burdened by high utility costs.

A formal request, aiming to address escalating energy expenditures, has been lodged with NEPRA to impose this new cost burden on electricity users for the first quarter of the current fiscal year. ARY News reported that NEPRA has scheduled a hearing for November 20 to review this proposal.

The proposed price increase includes PKR 8.06 billion allocated for capacity charges, PKR 1.25 billion for operations and maintenance, and PKR 1.65 billion for system charges and market operations. Previously, NEPRA sanctioned K-Electric's request to adjust tariffs by PKR 2.17 per unit for November, increasing its rate to PKR 4.91 per unit.

Last month, NEPRA also addressed K-Electric's plea for a provisional monthly fuel charge adjustment for July 2024, setting it at PKR 3.03 per unit. This reflects a larger trend of electricity price surges in the nation, adding an overall burden of PKR 455 billion on consumers, making budgeting increasingly difficult for the public.

Amid these changes, citizens have called on the Pakistan government to reassess its fuel adjustment policy to ease the mounting financial pressure, as reported by ANI and ARY News.

(With inputs from agencies.)