ISLAMABAD:
Power consumers are likely to face an increase of up to Rs 0.82 per unit under the monthly fuel cost adjustment (FCA) for May 2026, as the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) held a public hearing on the proposed tariff revision on Tuesday.
During the hearing, it was revealed that the actual fuel cost stood at Rs9.2488 per unit as compared to the baseline fuel cost of Rs8.4315 per unit, resulting in a proposed increase of Rs0.8173 per unit.
The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) has requested the increase, according to NEPRA officials.
Officials informed the audience that the proposed adjustment would impose an additional burden of around Rs 10 billion on power consumers. They added that a total of 12.33 billion units of electricity were sold in May 2026.
CAPP officials told the hearing that overall electricity consumption in May decreased by 4.6 percent.
They claimed that electricity consumption also fell by around 1 percent due to the early closure of markets due to austerity measures introduced following the war between Iran and the United States.
NEPRA members questioned the reasons for the drop in electricity demand and asked whether the reduction was related to load management (load shedding).
CPPA officials responded that the drop in demand was partly due to the Eid holiday and relatively lower temperatures in May.
According to the National Power Control Center (NPCC), the maximum power generation in May reached 23,333 MW.
NEPRA also questioned why the demand for electricity had declined despite the government’s additional measures in favor of the agricultural and industrial sectors.
CPPA officials attributed part of that decline to increased daytime solarization, saying grid electricity demand had fallen as more consumers relied on solar power during the day.
They further informed the audience that LNG supplies were restored by the end of April 2026. However, they said the cost of the fuel for power generation had increased due to the war between Iran and the United States. According to officials, the peak power demand in June stood at 26,000 MW.
Jamaat-e-Islami rejected the proposed increase in electricity prices during the hearing.
Its representative, Imran Shahid, said he had rejected the proposed increase of Rs0.82 per unit.
Speakers argued that the public should not have to bear the cost of poor governance. They pointed out that the low-cost Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project remained non-operational.
They also said major power cuts continued across the country and criticized the government for its failure to develop an adequate transmission system capable of providing lower-cost electricity.
Imran Shahid further said that the people of Karachi should not suffer due to the inefficiency of K-Electric.
Rehan Javed, representing the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), questioned why the demand for electricity was not increasing despite the availability of low-cost industrial power package.
“Textile industries are closing down, highlighting the deteriorating situation in the manufacturing sector,” he said.
He also argued that the financial burden of additional packages should not be transferred to other categories of consumers.
