A major change in Pakistan’s power billing system has raised alarm among households. NEPRA has fixed charges, and electricity bills now reflect the sanctioned load rather than actual consumption. The revised tariff structure, which the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority approved at the federal government’s request, took effect in January 2026.
As a result, many consumers now face higher monthly bills even when they use relatively little electricity. The change has intensified public concern at a time when many households already struggle with rising living costs.
Previously, authorities applied fixed charges only to domestic consumers who used more than 300 units a month. Those charges ranged from Rs. 200 to Rs. 1,000.
Under the new framework, however, all domestic consumers except lifeline users must pay fixed charges, regardless of how much electricity they consume. Instead of calculating those charges on actual usage, the new system bases them on each consumer’s sanctioned electricity load.
How the NEPRA’s Revised Tariff Affects Bills
The updated structure increases fixed charges across multiple consumer slabs. According to the source text, those charges now range from Rs. 200 per kilowatt to Rs. 675 per kilowatt each month.
That shift could sharply increase costs for many homes. For example, a household with a sanctioned load of 5 kilowatts could see fixed charges climb from a previous maximum of Rs. 1,000 to nearly Rs. 3,375 per month.
The revised tariff means electricity bills will no longer depend mainly on how many units a household uses. Even low-consumption households may now see higher bills, as sanctioned load has become the key factor in fixed-charge calculations.
This change adds pressure on families who had relied on lower usage to keep costs under control. It also shifts the billing focus from consumption habits to the approved load connected to each household’s electricity supply.
