Electricity consumers across Pakistan are facing another likely increase in their power bills, with the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) filing a fuel price adjustment petition with the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for the month of April.

The petition seeks an increase of Rs1.72 per unit for a single month under the fuel cost adjustment mechanism, a charge applied retroactively based on the actual fuel mix used to generate electricity during a given month.

NEPRA has scheduled a public hearing on the petition for June 2. If approved, the hike will apply to consumers of all electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) nationwide, including K-Electric customers in Karachi.

According to the CPPA filing, nuclear energy accounted for the largest share of generation in April at 22.07 per cent, closely followed by hydel power at 21.89 per cent. Local coal contributed 15.61 per cent, imported coal 14.14 per cent, local gas 10.49 per cent, furnace oil 5.11 per cent, RLNG 4 per cent, and solar 1.17 per cent. Transmission losses stood at 1.95 per cent during the month.

The application comes at a time when consumers are already contending with high base tariffs and the impending withdrawal of subsidies from multi-meter households.

The cumulative financial pressure on Pakistan’s electricity consumers continues to mount heading into the summer months.