LAHORE: Millions of consumers could soon see higher Electricity Bills after the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) requested approval for a major recovery. The company has asked the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to allow it to recover Rs2.35 billion through the quarterly tariff adjustment mechanism.
The request covers the period from April to June. If NEPRA approves the proposal, consumers in LESCO’s service areas may have to pay more in their monthly Electricity Bills. The regulator will review the request before making a final decision.
According to LESCO, several factors have led to the proposed recovery. These include the gap between electricity generation and actual sales, higher capacity payments, rising fuel costs, increased transmission charges, and operational expenses. The company also cited the financial impact of net-metering consumers as one of the reasons for the request.
LESCO said electricity demand has dropped in recent months. The company explained that its fixed operating costs remain almost the same, even when electricity sales decline. As a result, the cost of supplying each unit of electricity has increased.
Official figures show that household electricity consumption fell by 8% compared to the same period last year. Commercial electricity use also declined by 7% during the same period. Overall electricity demand across the LESCO network dropped by around 4%.
The company believes the decline in demand has created a financial gap. Since fewer electricity units were sold, the overall cost per unit increased. LESCO argues that the quarterly tariff adjustment is necessary to recover these additional expenses.
If the proposal is accepted, consumers may experience another increase in Electricity Bills in the coming months. However, the final amount will depend on NEPRA’s review and approval process.
NEPRA will examine the company’s petition, financial data, and supporting documents before announcing its decision. The authority may approve the full amount, reduce the requested recovery, or reject the proposal if it finds the request unjustified.
In other news read more about Karachi Traffic Update: Police Close Roads Near Press Club for PTI Protest
The regulator’s decision will determine whether the additional financial burden will be passed on to electricity consumers. Until then, the proposed increase remains under review, and no final adjustment has been announced. Consumers are expected to wait for NEPRA’s official ruling before any changes appear in their monthly billing cycle.
