ISLAMABAD: On Monday, the national power regulator (NEPRA) sanctioned another fuel adjustment for power producers. It has made one unit of electricity Rs1.65 more expensive for consumers consuming more than 300 units a month. The price hike will apply from October bills. National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has notified that one power unit will cost Rs18.9 instead of Rs16.44. With this increase, the collective burden borne by the people will be Rs90 billion. Because about 80 per cent of the consumers use more than 300 units a month. The upward revision of unit prices due to fuel price adjustment done last month expired on Sep 30 and now the power regulator announced another more expensive adjustment. However, this adjustment will not factor in the bills of K Electric consumers. In a separate but relevant development earlier this week, the Karachi Chambers of Commerce boycotted the announcement of the public hearing by the power regulator to decide on power tariffs alleging the decisions are always preordained to favour Karachi Electric. The business community of the KCCI alleged that the only reason for these public hearings, convened by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, is to please KE and the exercise is a rubber stamp event to legitimize the process. They have always taken the decisions in advance but only to fool us they convince these public huddles, traders alleged. We will boycott the September 30 Nepra public hearing, they said.