Govt Announces Short Loadshedding to Avoid Electricity Price Hike

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to implement around 2.25 hours of daily electricity loadshedding across the country as part of a “peak relief strategy” to avoid a possible increase of up to Rs6 per unit in power tariffs.

According to an official statement from the Power Division, overall electricity generation remains stable and adequate despite difficult global conditions. However, demand rises sharply during peak hours between 5pm and 1am, creating pressure on the system. This situation is worsened in summer due to reduced hydropower generation.

The statement explained that meeting this high demand through costly fuel sources like furnace oil would significantly increase electricity prices. To prevent this, the government has decided to carry out limited loadshedding during peak hours to reduce reliance on expensive energy sources.

The decision is being closely overseen by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has instructed authorities to keep electricity prices under control.

Officials said that even with these measures, consumers may still see a slight increase of about Rs1.5 per unit. Without the strategy, the tariff hike could have reached between Rs5 and Rs6 per unit.

Power distribution companies have been directed to inform consumers about loadshedding schedules in advance and follow the announced timings strictly. In case of unexpected outages caused by technical issues, timely updates will also be provided.

The government clarified that this is not routine loadshedding but a targeted step to reduce financial pressure on consumers. It also highlighted that improved planning, reforms, and increased use of low-cost energy sources have already reduced electricity prices by an average of 71 paisa per unit between July and February, saving consumers around Rs46 billion.

Authorities reaffirmed their commitment to protecting consumers from global price pressures and suggested that better demand management, including timely closure of commercial markets, could further help control electricity usage and limit tariff increases.