The government is working to remove the six-month period of higher electricity charges faced by consumers who exceed 200 units in a month, even by a single unit, Power Minister Awais Leghari told the Senate. He also said raising the consumption threshold to 250 units was under consideration.
Why one extra unit drew scrutiny
The issue came up during a Senate discussion on how electricity tariffs affect customers of power distribution companies. Senator Abid Sher Ali challenged the steep tariff increase that consumers can face when their monthly use reaches 201 units.
Sher Ali questioned why a household exceeding the limit by just one unit could be billed at a rate associated with consumption of 400 units. In response, Leghari said the government was working to end the additional charges that continue for six months after a consumer crosses the 200-unit boundary.
A higher threshold is being considered
Leghari outlined two changes being examined by the government:
- Removing the six-month period of additional charges triggered by consumption above 200 units.
- Increasing the monthly consumption threshold from 200 to 250 units.
The minister described the removal of the six-month charges as work in progress, while the proposed 250-unit threshold remained under consideration.
Relief to focus on households below the poverty line
Around 20 million consumers now use fewer than 200 units, according to Leghari. But he argued that low grid consumption alone should not qualify every household for discounted electricity.
Some households, he said, keep their electricity use from the grid low by relying on solar power. The government would instead direct relief towards consumers living below the poverty line.
