The federal government has decided to maintain the basic electricity tariff across the country, providing temporary relief to domestic consumers. According to the recommendations sent to the government by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), no fundamental change in electricity prices in different unit slabs has been proposed.
According to Nepra, the maximum tariff for domestic consumers has been recommended to be maintained at Rs 47.69 per unit, which will be applicable to consumers consuming more than 700 units per month. However, the authority has clarified that the actual bill amount may vary according to the slab due to the increase in taxes and surcharges.
For protected consumers, the tariff for 1 to 100 units has been proposed to be maintained at Rs 10.54 per unit, while the tariff for 101 to 200 units has been proposed to be maintained at Rs 13.01. Similarly, for non-protected consumers, the tariff for 1 to 100 units has been recommended to be fixed at Rs 22.44 and the tariff for 101 to 200 units at Rs 28.91.
According to NEPRA documents, the tariff for consumers consuming electricity from 201 to 300 units has been maintained at Rs 33.10, for 301 to 400 units at Rs 37.99, for 401 to 500 units at Rs 40.22 and for 501 to 600 units at Rs 41.62. While a tariff of Rs 42.76 per unit has been proposed for consumers consuming electricity from 601 to 700 units.
The government has also decided to maintain the concessional tariff for lifeline consumers. It has been recommended to maintain the tariff at Rs 3.95 for consumers using up to 50 units per month and Rs 7.74 per unit for those using 51 to 100 units.
According to energy expert Dr Salman Awan, “The decision to maintain the tariff will temporarily reduce public pressure; however, if line losses and circular debt are not controlled, price increases may be inevitable in the future.”
Economic analyst Hina Iqbal says that this government move is politically and socially important in the context of inflation, but the real issue is to reduce the cost of electricity generation.
According to NEPRA, the authority has sent its recommendations regarding a uniform national tariff to the federal government, on which a formal notification will be issued after final approval.
Experts believe that if the government makes practical progress on energy reforms, electricity prices may stabilise in the coming years; otherwise, consumers will continue to face additional burdens through taxes and adjustments.