Power tariff likely to go up by Rs2/unit

ISLAMABAD: Power tariff is likely to witness a rise of Rs2 per unit for the month of January as a result of increased dependence on power generated from expensive sources.

The power generation from hydel plants – a cheaper source of electricity production – remained low in the wake of frozen mountains and the resulting slow stream of water in rivers. The gap had to be met through power production from expensive sources which led to the rise in electricity generation cost in the month of January.

According to a request forwarded to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) by Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), power generation from hydel sources reduced to 13.5 percent and 55 percent electricity had to be produced with the help of plants that operate on expensive fuel.

This raised the cost of power generation by Rs2 per unit for the month of January, it pointed out and requested the NEPRA to reach a final decision on power tariff rise after holding a hearing on CPPA’s request.