Electricity bills across Pakistan have jumped after NEPRA shifted fixed charges from consumption-based to load-based calculations.
The new formula, effective January 2026, links charges to a household’s connected load rather than monthly usage. The change follows a federal government request to impose standard fixed charges on domestic users.
Under the revised system, all domestic consumers, except lifeline users, are subject to fixed charges based on their load. Both protected and non-protected households are affected, causing a significant increase in monthly bills compared with the previous consumption-based method.
Fixed charges under the new tariff range from 200 to 675 rupees per kilowatt per month for different household slabs. Previously, fixed charges applied only to consumers using more than 300 units and ranged from 200 to 1,000 rupees depending on actual consumption.
For instance, a household with a 5-kilowatt connection could now face fixed charges between 1,000 and 3,375 rupees per month. Larger loads or higher consumption slabs result in even greater increases, raising concerns about affordability for many families.
The new load-based formula is expected to impact millions of households nationwide. Analysts warn that it may disproportionately affect consumers with higher connections, even if their actual electricity usage remains moderate.
