ISLAMABAD – The federal government is likely to provide a relief to electricity consumers who use up to 300 units per month by giving them the status of protected.
Reports said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of complaints related to the “protected consumers” category and its current implementation.
It is necessary for the consumer to use below 200 units per month for the period of six months to fall in the protected category.
The notice was taken after it was brought in his notice electricity consumers who use 201 units in a single month are excluded from the protected category for the next six months. As a result, these consumers are forced to pay an additional Rs5,000 or more in monthly bills during this period, significantly increasing their financial burden.
The federal government has formed a committee, which has been tasked with evaluating options such as retaining the protected category for those using up to 200 units, or potentially expanding relief for users consuming up to 300 units.
A proposal is under consideration to redefine the protected consumer threshold from 201 units to 301 units, reports added.
Members of the National Assembly have raised concerns about the injustice of penalizing low-income households for exceeding the 200-unit mark by just a single unit. These families, primarily low-income earners, often rely on minimal electricity usage but are still burdened by steep price hikes.
Reports claimed that the current 201-unit slab was deliberately enforced by NEPRA and the Ministry of Power, sparking further public backlash. The committee will review the entire matter and present its recommendations to the federal cabinet.
