It appears that the poor electricity consumers are in for another bad news.

The authorities are expected to raise the power tariff by another Rs2 per unit. The final decision will be taken after the September 27 hearing at the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority.

The Central Power Purchasing Agency has submitted a request with Nepra seeking an increase in the price of electricity.

The agency has requested for an increase of Rs1.82 per unit in the price of electricity.

The application was submitted under the monthly fuel adjustment for the month of August.

The NEPRA authority will hear the power agency’s application on September 27.

Meanwhile, the crackdown on power thieves across the country is underway on full swing. In south Punjab, another 161 power thieves have been caught, taking the total number of those apprehended to 9,746.

According to the MEPCO spokesperson, 126 new cases were registered, with the total number of cases registered going up to 3,049.

So far, 235 people have been arrested over power theft, according to MEPCO, while the authorities added that in Daira Din Panah, a sub-divisional officer and the Kot Addu executive engineer were assaulted outside the Hanjra House.

Malik Shehzad, who is a power thieve and a defaulter of Rs111,000, had hit the EXEN’s official vehicle with his car.

In Faisalabad, 128 more power thieves were arrested and fined Rs17.9 million, according to a FESCO spokesman.

So far, 1,333 people have been fined more than Rs163.6 million, 1,137 people booked in cases and 135 have been arrested.