Government Plans to Burden Consumers with Rs46 Billion in Additional Electricity Charges

Just weeks after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced a Rs14 per unit reduction in electricity bills for August and September, the government is now preparing to impose an additional Rs46 billion burden on consumers. This move comes as part of the quarterly adjustment for electricity charges.

The additional charges, spanning from April to June, include a request to pay Rs22 billion under capacity payments to Independent Power Producers (IPPs). In addition to this, Rs10 billion will be charged for the transmission and distribution of electricity, and another Rs14 billion will be separately extracted from consumers.

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) is scheduled to conduct a hearing on the IPPs’ application today, which could lead to further increases in power bills for consumers across Punjab and Islamabad.

This development has sparked concerns among consumers who were hoping for some relief following the recent reduction in electricity rates. The new charges could further strain the budgets of households already struggling with rising living costs.