The federal government has decided to impose fixed charges on electricity consumers and has submitted a formal petition to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) in this regard. A hearing on the proposal is scheduled to take place on February 10.
According to the Power Division, the proposed fixed charges will apply to both protected and non-protected domestic electricity consumers. It is noteworthy that fixed charges are already applicable to consumers using more than 300 units per month.
Under the proposal, protected domestic consumers using up to 100 units per month would be charged a fixed fee of Rs 200, while those consuming up to 200 units would pay Rs 300 per month.
For non-protected consumers, the proposed fixed charges are Rs 275 for consumption up to 100 units, Rs 300 for up to 200 units, Rs 350 for up to 300 units, Rs 400 for up to 400 units, and Rs 500 for consumption up to 500 units per month.
The Power Division has further proposed setting fixed charges at Rs 675 for consumers using up to 600 units per month. For consumers using up to 700 units, fixed charges would be reduced by Rs 125 to Rs 675, while for those consuming more than 700 units, fixed charges would be reduced by Rs 325, also bringing them to Rs 675.
In addition, the government has proposed a reduction in electricity tariffs for domestic consumers using between 301 and more than 700 units per month. Under the proposal, electricity rates would be reduced by Rs 1.53 per unit for consumers using up to 400 units, Rs 1.25 per unit for up to 500 units, and Rs 1.40 per unit for up to 600 units.
For consumers using up to 700 units per month, a reduction of 91 paisa per unit has been proposed, while those consuming more than 700 units would receive a reduction of 49 paisa per unit.
The proposal also includes a tariff reduction of Rs 1.15 per unit for commercial consumers with a load of five kilowatts or more, and a reduction of up to Rs 5 per unit for the industrial sector.
The proposed measures are aimed at restructuring electricity tariffs and are subject to approval by Nepra following the scheduled hearing.
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