New proposed fixed charges, electricity tariff for protected, non-protected consumers

2026-02-07 - 05:36

ISLAMABAD – The federal government is mulling over revising electricity tariff and fixed charges for both protected and non-protected domestic consumers. The new plan aims to reduce the cost of electricity for households consuming more than 300 and 700 units of electricity per month. However, it also includes proposals to impose fixed charges on consumers using up to 300 units, a change from the previous policy which only applied fixed charges to non-protected consumers exceeding 300 units. New Proposed Electricity Fixed Charges Under the new proposals, protected consumers using up to 100 units per month will face a fixed charge of Rs200, while those consuming up to 200 units will pay Rs300. For non-protected consumers, the fixed charges are set to range from Rs275 for users consuming up to 100 units to Rs350 for those using up to 300 units. The most notable change comes for higher consumption levels. For non-protected users, fixed charges are suggested to increase significantly. Those consuming between 400 and 600 units will see a rise in charges, with rates going up from Rs200 to Rs675. However, for households consuming more than 700 units per month, the government has proposed reducing the fixed charges by Rs325, bringing them down to Rs675. Proposed Changes in Electricity Tariff In addition to adjustments to fixed charges, the federal government is also proposing reductions in the electricity tariff for domestic consumers. The proposed tariff cuts are aimed at easing the financial burden on households that use higher amounts of electricity each month. Under the proposed tariff structure, domestic consumers using up to 400 units per month will benefit from a reduction of Rs1.53 per unit. Consumers using 500 units will see a reduction of Rs1.25 per unit, while those consuming up to 600 units will have a reduction of Rs1.40 per unit. For those using 700 units, the proposed reduction is 91 paisas per unit, and consumers using over 700 units will get a 49 pais reduction per unit. The proposals also include a reduction of Rs1.15 per unit for commercial consumers using loads of 5 kW or more. Additionally, the industrial sector is set to benefit from a significant reduction, with the government proposing a cut of up to Rs5 per unit in electricity tariffs. After approval from the federal cabinet, the proposal will be submitted to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), which is expected to hold a hearing on the matter on February 10.