Starting on July 1, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has suggested imposing fixed charges for home power users, up to a maximum of Rs 1,000.
The federal government, which will make the final choice, has reportedly received these offers.
Included in the average base rate of Rs5.72 per unit are the proposed fixed charges.
The structure of the fixed costs varies according on the amount of power consumed. There will be set fees of Rs200 for users who use between 301 and 400 units each month. There will be a Rs. 400 monthly fee for those utilizing 401 to 500 units.
Users using between 501 and 600 units per month will pay fixed fees of Rs600; users using between 601 and 700 units per month will pay fixed charges of Rs800; and users using more than 700 units per month will pay fixed charges of Rs 1,000.
The basic electricity rate will now include these proposed fixed costs, which were not previously included in the tariff structure for home consumers.
Industrial customers in the B1 category with ToU metering and up to 25kW of use will pay Rs 1,000. However, fixed costs for B2 category customers consuming up to 500kW would increase by 300 percent; they will now pay Rs2,000 instead of the previous fixed charges of Rs500 per month. Industrial clients in the B3 category who use 5,000kW would be subject to fixed tariffs, which will increase by 335 percent to Rs2,000 from Rs460 per month. Customers in the B4 group who use all loads would also see a 355 percent hike in fixed rates; instead of paying Rs440 per month, they will now spend Rs2,000.
Currently, 28% of the total cost of each electrical unit is made up of variable charges and 72% of fixed rates. However, when it comes to revenue, fixed costs are only 2% and variable charges are 98%. According to the officials, the relevant authorities discovered an imbalance between the cost and income structure of the power tariff.
