The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has sought Rs3.2814 per unit hike of Rs3.2814 per unit for the months of October to March under quarterly adjustment.

“Nepra allows the positive quarterly adjustments of Rs135,584 million pertaining to the fourth quarter of the FY2022-23, to be recovered from the consumers of XWDiscos in a period of six months i.e. October 2023 to March 2024 with an additional Rs3.2814 per unit to be charged,” said a notification issued by the authority.

The proposal comes at a time when Jamaat-e-Islami was staging a sit-in against the power and fuel hike in Peshawar. It was followed by massive protests in many parts of the country after complaints of exorbitant bills.

Nepra raised the national average tariff by around Rs5 per unit in July, pushing the base unit power tariff from Rs24.82 to Rs29.78.

Friday’s decision was on requests by ex-Wapda distribution companies (XWDiscos) for periodic adjustments in the tariff for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022-23. Nepra would notify it after any action from the government.

The same terms would apply to K-Electric (KE) consumers as per the federal government’s policy, it added.

The PTI criticised the proposed increase in the power tariff.