ISLAMABAD   -  The effective electricity tariff for the country’s residential consumers will go up to Rs 69.27/unit starting from July 1, 2024, official documents reveal. The electricity tariff (including taxes) for the various categories of unprotected residential consumers will remain from Rs 37.38/unit to Rs 69.27/unit from July 2024 to December 2024, official documents reveal. However, from January 2025, it will decline, the documents said.

The federal government had last week approved a hike of up to 51% in electricity base tariff for the various categories of residential consumers which will enhance base tariff to up to Rs 48.84/unit for some consumers, from July 1, 2024. However, according the Power Division, the effective rates will be much higher than the base tariff.

As per the details, the consumers effective tariff (with taxes) for the unprotected consumers using 1 to 100 units are expected to reach Rs 37.38/unit. For the consumer using 101-200 the tariff will be Rs 45.15/unit, for the consumers using 201-300 units, tariff will go up to Rs 50.17/unit. For the consumers using 301-400 unit it will reach to Rs 56.73/unit. For the consumers using 401-500 units, 501-600 unit and 601-700 the tariff will reach to Rs59.76/unit, Rs 61.70/unit and Rs 63.24/unit respectively. For the consumers using above 700 the tariff will go up to Rs 69.27/unit. The Power Division, however, expects that the tariff will be reduced from January 2025 onward and will go down to Rs 32.12/unit, Rs 39.94/unit, Rs 44.97/unit, Rs 51.52/unit Rs 54.55/unit, Rs 56.50/unit, Rs 58.03/unit and Rs 64.06/unit respectively for the various categories of unprotected consumers.

The effective tariff (with taxes), for the protected consumers using 1 to 100 units will be Rs 19.75/ unit and the consumers using 101-200 units it will be Rs 22.71/unit. For the protected consumers using 1-100 and 101-200 units also, the power division expects, that the tariff will go down to Rs 14.54/unit and Rs 17.50/unit respectively from January 2025.

Earlier, the NEPRA had determined a hike of Rs 5.72/unit in electricity tariffs and then federal government had submitted a motion to NEPRA requesting the regulator to implement a uniform tariff for consumers of Distribution Companies (DISCOs) and K-Electric. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) will be holding public hearing on the government motion for the determination of consumers end tariff on July 10, 2024. Earlier, the hearing was scheduled for July 08, however, on Sunday Nepra announced a new date for the hearing.

As per the base tariff approved by the Federal Cabinet for FY 2024-25, for the protected consumers using 1 to 100 units, 51% or 3.95/ unit hike in base tariff has been proposed, which will take the price from the existing Rs 7.74/unit to 11.69/unit, for the protected consumers using 101-200 units a hike of 41% or Rs 4.10/unit has been proposed which will enhance the tariff from Rs 10.06/unit to Rs 14.16/unit.

For the unprotected consumers using 1 to 100 units, the hike of Rs 7.11/unit (43%) in base tariff has been proposed which will take effect from the existing Rs16.48/unit to Rs 23.59/unit. For the consumer using 101-200 the hike of Rs 7.15/unit (31%) has been proposed which will take the tariff for these consumers from the existing Rs 22.95/unit to Rs 30.10/unit. For the consumers using 201-300 unit, the base tariff will go up by Rs 7.12/unit (26%) from the existing Rs 27.14/unit to 34.26/unit. For the consumers using 301-400 unit an increase of Rs 7.12/unit (22%) has been proposed which will take the existing tariff of Rs 32.03/unit to 39.15/unit for these consumers. For the consumers using 401-500 units, 501-600 unit and 601-700 units the approved hike in tariff is Rs 6.12/unit which will it from the existing Rs35.24/unit, Rs 36.66/unit and Rs 37.80/unit to Rs 41.36/per unit, Rs 42.78/unit and Rs 43.92 respectively. For the consumers using above 700 a hike of Rs 6.12/unit (14%) has been proposed taking it from existing 42.72/unit to Rs 48.84/unit.