Islamabad:
The National Regulatory Authority of Electric Power (NEPRA) has fulfilled an exhibition cause notice on K-Electric (KE) for failure to fulfill its instructions related to forced load displacement.
The regulator said that KE had been resorting to the reduction of load based on aggregate technical and commercial losses (AT&C), which violates the nepring law and rules of performance standards (distribution), 2005.
According to the authority, the distribution companies (disc) are obliged to maintain plans and schedules to throw up to 30% of their load connected at any time after the instructions of the National Transmission and Exhibition Company (NTDC).
This load must be divided into separable and switable blocks that can be disconnected as NTDC indicates. Copies of these plans must be shared with NTDC.
Nepra emphasized that NTDC, when possible, should provide distribution companies with an early warning of imminent load slaughter to help maintain system voltage and frequency in line with the grid code.
NTDC is also responsible for instructing distribution companies on the specific amount of load that will be disconnected and the moment, using clear and unequivocal communication based on the approved plans.
Previously, on January 8, 2025, Nepra issued an explanation to KE under regulations 4 (1) and 4 (2) of the Nepra (Fine) regulations, 2021, citing the breach of its directives.
The regulator declared that KE had been implementing the loading of load based on the losses of AT&C, which violates the nepring law and the rules of performance standards (distribution), 2005.
In this practice, complete feeders with commercial losses, such as the theft of electricity and non -payment, close for hours, even when some consumers in those feeders comply with the whole and regularly pay their invoices. “Nepra considers this unfair to consumers who meet.”
In response to this practice, the authority had initiated and concluded legal procedures, which resulted in a penalty of RS50 million in KE.
“Nepra continues to emphasize that the increasing load must only be carried out at the transformer level mounted on the post (PMT) and only when it is absolutely necessary, as in the case of generation shortage or transmission limitations, and only under the instructions of the system operators.”
Meanwhile, KE launched a project in 2021 to install the advanced measurement infrastructure (AMI) and the automated meters reading system (AMR) at the distribution transformer level, which costs RS6 billion.
The project aimed to identify energy losses due to theft and lack of payment and facilitate commercial benefits. Ke also said that these meters would allow remote connection and disconnection at transformative level. The project was completed in December 2021, with a test carried out until June 2022.
Nepra reviewed the records, reports and KE presentations of the project and discovered that although the company has reaped commercial benefits of the AMI/AMR system, it has not used technology to provide relief to consumers when carrying out the loading of load directed at the PMT level, despite the ability to do so.
In addition, during public audiences on the monthly fuel cost adjustments (FCA), Karachi residents complained widely about the elimination of excessive and unfair load, which reinforces Neprolvas’s concerns.
A KE spokesman regarding the cause of the Neprus show-causa declared: “Ke is currently reviewing the display cause of the exhibition received from Nepr. After an exhaustive review, we will present our response in line with the deadline established by the authority.”
