ISLAMABAD - Chairman Nepra has said that the electricity consumers can get a relief of Rs 0.62 to Rs 0.68 per unit under the fuel charges adjustment for the month of March.
Presiding over a hearing on CPPA-G petition for the reduction of 0.61 per unit, chairman Nepra questioned that why expensive furnace oil was used for power generation in March? Why less energy from gas was generated in the month, he further asked.
Official of NPCC informed that there were technical problems as there were interruption in RLNG supplies for the power plants, that’s why furnace oil was used during the month. Chairman Nepra asked the petitioner to provide justification for use of furnace oil and under utilisation of some power plants.
Chairman Nepra said that the tariff can be decreased by Rs 0.62 to Rs 0.68 per unit for the month of March. However decision in this regard will be issued later. If approved the decrease will provide a relief of Rs 5.4 billion to power consumers.
The Central Power Purchasing Agency-Guarantee (CPPA-G) had requested National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to decrease the power tariff by Rs 0.61 per unit under monthly FCA, as it
 had charged the electricity consumers extra tariff per unit in the month of March.
The CPPA in its petition for monthly fuel charges adjustments, on the behalf of XWDiscos, submitted to Nepra said, it had charged consumers a reference fuel tariff of Rs 6.2295 per unit in March while the actual fuel cost turned out to be lower or Rs 5.6246 per unit. Hence, it should be allowed to decrease Rs 0.6149 per unit.
According to the data provided to Nepra, the energy generation in March 2021 was recorded at 8964.80 GWh. The total cost of energy generated amounted to Rs 49.715 billion. The total electricity sold to Discos was 8614.55 GWh for Rs 48.367 billion. The total transmission losses during March surged to 3.91 per cent. 
The share of hydropower generation in March was 19.42 per cent or 174.58 GWh against the February share of 27.93 per cent or 2033 GWh.
The power generation from coal-fired power plants increased from 1902.98 GWh in February to 2734.39 GWh (30.50 per cent) in March. The cost of the generation, however, increased from Rs 7.0621 per unit in February to Rs 7.2595 per unit in March. The use of RFO power generation increased from 77.31 GWh or 1.06 per cent in February to 235.12 GWh or 2.62 per cent in March. The tariff for RFO based electricity also increased from Rs 11.8971 per unit in February to Rs 11.9166 per unit. No HSD based electricity was generated in March.
Electricity generation from gas in March increased to 1036.22 GWh from 906.37 GWh in February. 
The generation of RLNG based electricity increased from 1271.04 GWh or 17.46 per cent in February to 1892.77 KWh. The cost of the electricity, however, increased from Rs8.8252 per unit in February to Rs 9.0669 per KWh.
Nuclear energy contributed 10.49 per cent or 940.16 GWh electricity at the cost of Rs 1.0261 per unit. The share of wind power plants was 1.89 per cent or 169.52 GWh and solar contributed 0.74 per cent or 66.37 GWh to the system.
The electricity imported from Iran contributed 0.23 per cent or 38.70 GWh at a cost of Rs9.3696 per unit. Mixed energy contributed 0.23 per cent or 20.88 GWh at the cost of Rs 5.9822 per unit. Bagasse contributed 1 per cent or 90.08 GWh at Rs 5.9822 per unit.