Consumers Burdened with Rs 69 Billion Due to Poor Power Transmission System Performance: NEPRA

Islamabad:Pakistani electricity consumers are set to bear an additional burden of Rs 69 billion in capacity payments due to the underperformance of the country’s power transmission system, according to NEPRA Member Rafiq Ahmed Shaikh.

In his dissenting note on the XWDISCOs’ third quarterly adjustment for FY 2024–25, Shaikh highlighted critical inefficiencies. During the reviewed period, three major coal-based power plants – Port Qasim, China Power, and Lucky Electric – operated at extremely low capacity utilization.

Port Qasim operated at just 1% capacity, China Power at 10%, and Lucky Electric remained completely idle. Despite this, they received massive capacity payments of Rs 26.95 billion, Rs 30.88 billion, and Rs 11.26 billion, respectively — totaling Rs 69.09 billion.

Meanwhile, NEPRA has approved a **Rs 1.55 per unit reduction** in electricity prices under the third quarterly adjustment of FY 2024–25, which will result in Rs 52.6 billion being refunded to consumers. The adjustment will be reflected in electricity bills for May, June, and July 2025.

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