ISLAMABAD : A massive increase in the prices of regasified Liquefied Natural gas (RLNG) and Residual Fuel Oil (RFO), coupled with the inclusion of over Rs 16 billion ( Rs 1.2390 per unit) in previous-period adjustments, pushed the cost of electricity up by 44 per cent to Rs 127.876 billion in September 2026, compared with Rs 89.032 billion in the corresponding month of 2025.
According to the power generation data and cost details submitted by the Central Power Purchasing Agency-Guarantee (CPPA-G) to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for September 2026, a positive Fuel Charges Adjustment (FCA) of Rs2.56 per unit has been proposed, subject to NEPRA’s acceptance of the figures submitted by CPPA-G.
NEPRA will hold a public hearing on October 29, 2026, to examine the figures and seek the views of consumers. The total financial impact of the proposed FCA on consumers of distribution companies (Discos) and K-Electric is estimated at Rs32.7 billion.
According to CPPA-G, the cost of electricity generation from local coal declined by 54 per cent to Rs5.9946 per unit in September 2026, compared with Rs13.0113 per unit in the same month of 2025. Its share in electricity generation increased to 1,324 GWh from 1,202 GWh in September 2025, an increase of 10.4 per cent.
However, the cost of generation from imported coal increased by 25 per cent to Rs17.2329 per unit in September 2026, compared with Rs13.7379 per unit in September 2025. Its contribution to overall generation rose by 111 per cent to 2,155 GWh from 1,019 GWh in the corresponding month of the previous year.
The Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO) also used high-speed diesel (HSD) for electricity generation in September 2026, at a generation cost of Rs62.1381 per unit. Meanwhile, the cost of RFO-fired generation stood at Rs44.8613 per unit. Generation from HSD and RFO was recorded at 213 GWh and 263 GWh, respectively, during the month.
The generation cost of indigenous gas declined by 3.4 per cent to Rs13.0414 per unit in September 2026, compared with Rs13.4986 per unit in the corresponding month of the previous year. Its share in overall electricity generation increased by 13 per cent compared with September 2025.
The generation cost of RLNG surged by 87 per cent to Rs39.7372 per unit in September 2026, significantly higher than Rs21.1927 per unit recorded in September 2025. However, electricity generation from RLNG fell by 56 per cent to 804 GWh from 1,815 GWh in the corresponding month of the previous year.
Nuclear power generation declined by 15 per cent to 1,893 GWh in September 2026 from 2,227 GWh in the same month of 2025. Its generation cost, however, increased by 32 per cent to Rs2.9045 per unit from Rs2.1893 per unit in September 2025.
The cost of electricity imported from Iran also increased by 33 per cent to Rs31.7738 per unit from Rs23.8903 per unit in the corresponding period.
According to the data submitted by CPPA-G, total electricity generation during September 2026 stood at 13,217 GWh, with hydropower accounting for the largest share of 4,834 GWh, or 36.58 per cent. The total generation cost was calculated at Rs123.618 billion, equivalent to Rs10.8821 per kWh.
After accounting for a previous-period adjustment of Rs16.376 billion, negative Rs1.501 billion in sales to independent power producers (IPPs), and transmission losses of 431 GWh, net electricity delivered to Discos stood at 12,760 GWh. Its total cost was calculated at Rs127.876 billion, or Rs10.0220 per kWh, against a reference price of Rs7.4596 per kWh.
CPPA-G has also introduced a new column in its data titled “RLNG Fuel Rate Adjustment”, under which a negative adjustment of Rs 10.617 billion, equivalent to Rs 0.8033 per unit, has been sought. Ends
