Karachi, Sindh

Residents of Shanti Nagar’s Sindhi Para, located in Union Council 7, District East Karachi, have been enduring unjust and prolonged load shedding for the past five months—an issue they claim began after they filed a formal complaint with the Federal Ombudsman. The matter has since developed into a complex legal case involving multiple agencies.

According to the residents, the complaint was originally submitted to the Federal Ombudsman five months ago. On February 11, 2025, the Ombudsman issued an order in the case, referring it to NEPRA (National Electric Power Regulatory Authority) due to technical reasons, with clear instructions to conduct an inspection of the area.

Subsequently, on February 19, 2025, NEPRA issued a letter to K-Electric requesting para-wise comments on the matter. However, instead of submitting detailed comments, K-Electric provided a generic report that vaguely attributed the issue to a high-loss “Pipe Factory” feeder, which, according to them, included the Sindhi Para area.

On March 17, 2025, the complainants formally rejected this report, arguing that their actual electricity supply came from the Shanti Nagar Feeder—not the Pipe Factory feeder—and alleged that this change was made secretly during nighttime hours. Evidence supporting this claim was also submitted.

The first hearing took place on March 26, 2025, where the applicants further alleged that K-Electric, in collusion with local parties, allowed illegal “Kunda” connections in areas outside Shanti Nagar Sindhi Para and failed to take action against them. They also highlighted that the Shanti Nagar Feeder, which originally supplied power to their area, was being used for power theft through the PMT (Pole-Mounted Transformer), which eventually became defaulted.

Based on these claims, NEPRA ordered an official inspection of the area, which was conducted on April 17, 2025. The inspection reportedly confirmed the residents’ allegations. The inspection team then directed K-Electric to conduct a detailed survey, prepare a mapping plan to separate the area’s power supply, and provide cost estimates (with and without financial burden on consumers) within seven days.

Despite these clear directions, during the final hearing held on May 14, 2025, K-Electric failed to submit a comprehensive report or respond adequately to the arguments presented by the complainants.

The Advisor of Consumer Affairs at NEPRA has now reserved the final decision, which is expected to be announced within the next 15 days.

The residents of Shanti Nagar Sindhi Para await justice as they continue to suffer from unmerited load shedding and poor service delivery.

Read: K-Electric Torments Sindhi Society Residents

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The post K-Electric Defies NEPRA Instructions first appeared on Sindh Courier.

By Nasir Mahmood

Karachi

The havoc being played with electric consumers in the country especially with Karachiites is unmatchable anywhere in the world. The electric power being produced by CPPAG (Ex-Wapda) is costing Rs.10 per unit and the K-Electric costing Rs.29, is being sold to end user at the rate of Rs.60 and above. What an amazing arithmetic. It means that the first producer may be using just the river water, while second producer i.e. the K-E uses Goldwater and third one the Bureaucracy washes the same energy with Platinum water?

The latest information says that the federal cabinet has given its approval for an increase of up to Rs.7.9 per unit in the base power tariff; it emerged on Saturday, after the country’s power regulator raised the national average tariff by almost Rs.5 last week. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority was informed of the decision in a letter dated July 21. The power ministry stated in the letter that the federal cabinet had approved the regulator’s proposal seeking price hikes in the uniform tariff. According to the letter, the retrospective price hike will take effect from July 1 and includes K-Electric among the power distribution companies (Discos).

After approving the Nepra’s proposal, the cabinet had filed a motion to “reconsider and issue” the new uniform tariffs for the above-mentioned Discos and K-Electric. Subsequently, the Nepra announced it will hold a hearing on July 24 (Monday) to finalize the decision (what a joke?).

In accordance with the new formula residential consumers’ tariff during peak hours will be at Rs54.51 (FCA of Rs1.90+ongoing QTA Rs1.26+ average taxes of Rs9.54 per unit with the applicable tariff of Rs41.89 per unit). In case of the expected increase of Rs4-5 per unit in the head of last Quarterly Tariff Adjustment (QTA) of FY23, the end tariff may go up to Rs60.52 per unit.

“What an amazing and unbelievable formula by a Banana State?” Aneel Mumtaz, an expert on electric affairs and analyst who has been frequently silenced on all public platforms and official hearings against the high handedness of the NEPRA Gang, stated this while talking to daily National Courier.

He disclosed that during past two decades there were four unsuccessful attempts made by the Auditor General of Pakistan’s office for audit of the K-E records. However, finally when they entered its premises to check the accounts of 2004-2013 record they unearthed amazingly Rs.43.374 billion frauds and misappropriations of the public funds through K-Electric administration on account of overcharging the electric consumers in Karachi alone. But the Bureaucrats of the government controlling ministries overthrew the AGPR staff and officials from K-Electric head office.

In this backdrop there is only one solution to solve the national energy crisis that there should be instant punishments for the overcharging of electricity and gas and the non-payments of heavy dues by the government departments and private sectors equally. On the other hand, the cabinet should immediately decide and announce the complete ban on free uses of energy, gas, petrol, diesel, air-tickets and free distribution of automobiles to all retired and serving judges, civil and military officers, parliamentarians and other beneficiaries etc. Only then we will be able to face the present challenges of the depressing economy, inflation, high-rising prices and unemployment problems. It must be the focal point of our national agenda, Aneel Mumtaz urged.

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Courtesy: National Courier (Posted on July 25, 2023)

The post Rise in power tariff: A new havoc being played with electric consumers first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Karachi

The NEPRA has approved Fuel Charge Adjustment reduction of Rs.4.89/kWh for K-Electric consumers for the month of August 2022. The decision and subsequent reduction to consumers will apply for the billing month of October 2022.

Fuel Charge Adjustments (FCA) is an approved adjustment applied on bills for electricity consumers of KE and state-owned DISCOs under the prescribed rules and regulations determined by NEPRA and the Government of Pakistan

FCA is incurred by utilities due to global variation in fuel prices to generate electricity and changes to the generation mix. A negative FCA for August was possible due to decrease in fuel prices along with price of power purchased from CPPA-G (National Grid). Price of electricity from CPPA-G decreased by 36% compared with June 2022, while RLNG prices decreased by 16% over the same period. Furnace Oil prices increased 3% in August 2022 compared with June 2022.

As per KE’s spokesperson, FCAs are applied after NEPRA’s scrutiny & public hearings, which are conducted independently for KE and state-owned entities (XWDISCOs). Alongside final approval on the FCA to be charged to consumers, the NEPRA Authority also specifies the categories of consumers on whom the decision applies along with the period during which these FCA can be applied to consumer bills. (PR)

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The post NEPRA Approves Rs.4.89 per unit reduction in power bills for Karachi first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Islamabad

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has decided to enhance tariff of DISCOs by Rs 3.09 per unit for December 2021 to extort Rs26 billion from the electricity consumers in the name of monthly Fuel Component Adjustment (FCA). This increase in the cost of electricity, nevertheless, will not be applicable on consumers falling in the lifeline consumers’ category.

NEPRA and the Central Power Purchasing Agency- Guaranteed (CPPA-G) developed this understanding at a public hearing which NEPRA conducted on Feb 1, 2022. NEPRA Chairman Tauseef. H. Farooqi, Member Sindh, Rafique Ahmad Shaikh, Member Balochistan, Rehmatullah Baloch and Member KP, Maqsood Anwar Khan participated in the hearing.

The CPPA-G demanded positive adjustment of Rs.3.12 per unit for December 2021, based on its own calculations including impact of depreciation of rupee.

The CPPA-G claimed total FCA cost of Rs.72.761 billion for December 2021 against reference cost of Rs.40.720 billion, showing extra cost of Rs.32.042 billion. One of the reasons for additional cost was increase in international fuel prices.

For the coal, the impact was calculated at Rs.11.74 billion, HSD Rs 3.529 billion, RFO Rs.3.663 billion, gas Rs.4.176 billion, RLNG Rs.7.875 billion, nuclear Rs 923 million, Iranian electricity Rs.107 million, mixed Rs.17 million and bagasse Rs.5 million. Also, the CPPA-G demanded previous adjustment of Rs.2 billion.

The cost of WAPDA hydel power was Rs.5.97/unit while hydel IPPs cost more than double, Rs.13.58/unit. There are total 23 hydel projects including Tarbela, Ghazi Barotha and Mangla dam.

The total energy generated was 8,827.05 GWh in December 2021 with a basket price of Rs.8.24/unit while the total cost of energy was Rs.72.76 billion.

The CCPA-G data showed the net electricity supplied to Discos in December 2021 was 8,529.91 GWh with average rate of Rs 8.6573/unit, having total value of Rs.73.84 billion.

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Courtesy: The Truth International

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