The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has approved the federal government’s request to impose fixed charges on domestic electricity consumers across the country, placing an additional financial burden on millions of households.
The regulator has forwarded its decision to the federal government for formal notification. The move comes after the Power Division submitted an application to NEPRA following approval from the federal cabinet.
Under the new decision, fixed charges will now be applicable for the first time to domestic consumers using up to 300 units per month. Previously, such consumers were exempt from fixed charges.
According to the approved structure, protected domestic consumers using up to 100 units per month will pay a fixed charge of Rs200, while those consuming up to 200 units will be charged Rs300.
For non-protected consumers, fixed charges have also been introduced and revised. Non-protected consumers using up to 100 units per month will pay Rs275 in fixed charges, while those consuming up to 200 units will pay Rs300. Consumers using up to 300 units per month will face a fixed charge of Rs350.
Fixed charges for non-protected consumers using up to 400 units per month have been increased by Rs200 to Rs400. For those consuming up to 500 units, fixed charges have been raised by Rs100 to Rs500. Consumers using up to 600 units per month will see an increase of Rs75, bringing the fixed charge to Rs675.
However, some relief has been provided to higher-end consumers. Fixed charges for those using up to 700 units per month have been reduced by Rs125 to Rs675, while consumers exceeding 700 units will see a reduction of Rs325, also bringing the fixed charge to Rs675.
In addition to fixed charges, NEPRA has also approved a reduction in per-unit electricity rates for certain consumption slabs. Electricity tariffs for domestic consumers using more than 301 units per month have been reduced by Rs1.53 per unit. Consumers using between 301 and 400 units per month will benefit from this reduction.
A reduction of Rs1.25 per unit has been approved for consumption up to 500 units per month, while consumers using up to 600 units will receive relief of Rs1.40 per unit. Domestic consumers using up to 700 units per month will see a reduction of Rs0.91 per unit, and those consuming above 700 units will get a cut of Rs0.49 per unit.
Commercial consumers will receive a reduction of Rs1.15 per unit, while the industrial sector has been granted a significant relief of up to Rs5 per unit.
The revised tariff structure is expected to impact crores of domestic consumers nationwide once formally notified by the federal government.