Nepra Approves Up to 51% Increase in Tariffs for Residential Consumers from October

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has approved substantial increases in electricity base rates for residential consumers, with hikes reaching up to 51%.

According to the new tariff schedule, rates for consumers using up to 200 units—both protected and non-protected—will remain unchanged until September 2024. However, starting in October 2024, substantial increases will be implemented.

Protected Consumers:

• Up to 100 Units: Tariff to rise from Rs7.74 to Rs11.69 per kWh (51% increase).
• 101 to 200 Units: Tariff to increase from Rs10.06 to Rs14.16 per kWh (41% increase).

Non-Protected Consumers:

• Up to 100 Units: Tariff to rise from Rs16.48 to Rs23.59 per kWh (43% increase).
• 101 to 200 Units: Tariff to increase from Rs22.95 to Rs30.07 per kWh (31% increase).
• Over 200 Units: Tariff increase ranges from 14% to 26%, effective from July 2024, with fixed charges ranging from Rs200 to Rs1,000 per kWh.

Nepra held a public hearing on July 8 to address government demands, approving an additional burden of over Rs700 billion to electricity consumers during the current fiscal year.

An average increase of Rs3.29 per unit in the base electricity tariff has also been approved, raising it to Rs33.07 per unit, an 11% increase from the previous fiscal year.