Energy Minister Announces 80% Discount on Electricity for Consumers Up to 200 Units

Islamabad: Minister for Energy, Owais Leghari, has announced an 80% discount on electricity bills for consumers using up to 200 units. He also assured that further relief measures will be introduced for consumers in the near future.
During a meeting of the National Assembly’s Energy Standing Committee, chaired by Mohammad Idris, the issue of alternative grid stations for HESCO and K-Electric was discussed. HESCO officials informed the committee that a fault in the Jamshoro grid could lead to a complete blackout in the entire HESCO region, affecting 13 cities. The Minister, however, clarified that the Jamshoro grid only faces a blackout during a national grid outage and no specific fault had occurred separately.
HESCO officials requested an alternative grid station, proposing 220kV stations from Matiari and Nawabshah to prevent further disruptions. Committee member Syed Waseem Hussain noted that a fault in the Jamshoro grid also affects Karachi.
Minister Leghari also addressed concerns about the relationship between Jamshoro and K-Electric’s electricity network, emphasizing that K-Electric’s system operates independently and can now draw up to 600 MW from the national grid, boosting its total capacity to 2000 MW.
The committee was briefed by NTDC officials, who explained ongoing projects such as the construction of a new grid station in Mirpur Khas, which is expected to be completed by 2026. They also provided updates on new transmission lines and transformers being installed to improve the national power distribution network.
Energy Minister Leghari also responded to concerns about the high cost of electricity, pointing out that the high prices were due to low electricity consumption. He assured that more steps will be taken to increase usage, which could lead to reduced rates.
Regarding power theft, he highlighted that the government loses an estimated 250 billion rupees annually due to electricity theft, which is a major factor contributing to the financial strain on the system.
In response to a discussion about the sharp increase in electricity bills for users consuming just above 200 units, Minister Leghari acknowledged the issue and assured the committee that it would be addressed, suggesting that protective measures could be implemented for consumers facing such hikes.
The committee members expressed concerns about housing societies without electricity connections and the prevalence of power theft in such areas. Minister Leghari explained that new connections are granted based on demand from local authorities and assured that if the authorities request, new connections would be provided.
Finally, discussions about discrepancies in bills for consumers using 200 and 201 units raised significant concerns, with members calling for a review of the billing system to ensure fairness.