ISLAMABAD, Aug 8 (Alliance News): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of growing complaints regarding the treatment of protected electricity consumers and directed the formation of a high-level committee to review the existing policy.
According to official sources, the issue stems from the current rule under which consumers using 201 units of electricity in a month are removed from the protected category for six consecutive months.
As a result, such consumers face an additional monthly bill of around Rs 5,000 for the entire period after crossing the threshold by even a single unit.
The committee will examine options to either maintain the existing protected limit at 200 units or extend relief to consumers using up to 300 units. One proposal under consideration is to increase the protected limit to 301 units, replacing the current 201-unit cap.
Sources revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also been briefed on reports of some consumers allegedly misusing subsidized electricity.
Lawmakers have raised concerns in the National Assembly, arguing that it is unfair to impose an extra Rs 5,000 monthly burden for six months on households that exceed the limit by only one unit.
The proposed committee will review the policy in detail and present recommendations to the federal cabinet for approval.
The government aims to resolve the 200-unit threshold issue based on the committee’s findings, ensuring that low-income consumers—who make up the majority of protected category users—continue to receive relief.
Sources further indicated that non-protected rates could potentially be applied up to 301 units, while another option under discussion is to restrict the 201-unit slab policy to the current month only.
The government maintains that every effort is being made to protect vulnerable households from undue financial hardship while addressing system inefficiencies.
