Energy Minister Awais Leghari has told the Senate that the government plans to abolish additional electricity charges for six months for consumers whose monthly use exceeds 200 units, signalling a shift in how 200 units relief in Pakistan is handled under the current tariff.
Speaking in the House, Leghari said officials are preparing a new policy on the issue and expect to introduce it soon. He linked the move to problems in today’s slab-based structure, under which a household at 201 units can face a much higher bill than one at 200 units or fewer.
Why the 200-to-201 units jump matters
Leghari said the existing setup has disproportionately benefited wealthier consumers. He told senators the government is also working toward a system in which electricity relief would follow poverty levels rather than the number of units used alone.
He said the number of consumers using up to 200 units a month has reached 20 million, and that many in that group are increasingly relying on solar power. Senator Abid Sher Ali argued that electricity tariffs affect millions of people and that even protected consumers struggle to pay. He asked why bills rise so sharply when monthly use moves from 200 to 201 units, and whether ordinary citizens are bearing the cost of theft and losses at distribution companies (DISCOs—the firms that deliver power to homes).
Energy finances Leghari cited
On wider sector finances, Leghari said circular debt in Pakistan’s energy sector—the unpaid bills and shortfalls that pile up across the power chain—had fallen to Rs167 billion. The government aims to eliminate that debt within the next four years, he said, and the debt-servicing surcharge tied to circular debt would also be abolished.
He said the Ministry of Energy had received Rs1,180 billion in budgetary support when the current government took office, a figure that had fallen to Rs700 billion in the current financial year. DISCO losses, he added, have been reduced each year, though the benefits have not yet been passed on to consumers.
Any change to 200 units relief in Pakistan will matter for households watching the 200-unit line each month. Until the revised policy is notified, the present tariff rules—and the sharp step-up at 201 units—remain the reference point for bills.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Wazir-e-Energy Awais Leghari ne Senate mein kaha ke 200 unit se zyada bijli istemal karne walon par jo extra charges lagte hain, unhein chheh mahine ke liye khatam karne ka plan hai. Nayi policy jald laane ka irada hai, kyunke 200 se 201 unit par bill achaanak barh jata hai. Taqreeban 2 crore log 200 unit tak use karte hain. Jab tak naya qanoon na aaye, maujuda bill ka hisaab hi laagu rahega.
