Govt announces over 2 hours of daily loadshedding due to rising costs
Photo: Reuters/ File
The Power Division said on Tuesday that due to rising electricity demand during peak hours, electricity will be suspended for around 2.25 hours daily between 5pm and 1am countrywide under its “peak relief strategy”.
“The purpose of this load management is to reduce the use of expensive fuel and prevent a rise in electricity prices,” the Power Division spokesperson said in a statement. “This step can prevent an increase of approximately Rs3 per unit,” he added.
The statement further said that distribution companies had been instructed to share feeder-wise outage schedules with consumers at all levels to ensure awareness of shutdown timings.
“No unscheduled outages will be allowed. In case of local faults, the concerned offices will inform consumers accordingly,” it added.
The spokesperson further said that electricity consumers were provided relief worth Rs46 billion between July and February under the government’s “peak relief strategy”, while electricity prices were reduced by 71 paisa per unit despite rising fuel costs. “This success is the outcome of reforms, relief packages, strict implementation of the merit order and effective planning,” he added.
He further said that the use of low-cost energy sources and better utilisation of generation capacity helped control prices, while improvements in transmission and administrative systems reduced losses. “Despite challenging global conditions, electricity generation in the country remains stable,” he stated, adding that the system is still capable of meeting demand.
According to the spokesperson, 80 MMCFD of local gas has been supplied to power plants, helping prevent tariff increases. “This has prevented an increase of 80 paisa per unit and additional load management,” he said. He warned that despite reduced furnace oil usage, a rise of around Rs1.5 per unit could still occur.
The news comes after Qatar declared force majeure on gas supplies due to damage to its facilities amid ongoing regional tensions involving Iran and Israel, leading to disruptions in liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports. Qatar is Pakistan’s main LNG supplier under two long-term contracts covering up to 1,000 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd).
The spokesperson said the situation is being closely monitored under the prime minister’s supervision and the government is ensuring that the public is not burdened excessively despite global challenges. He added that coordinated closure of commercial markets during peak hours could further reduce demand and help stabilise prices.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on April 10 announced a reduction of Rs135 per litre in high-speed diesel prices and Rs12 per litre in petrol. The Finance Ministry said the new rates stand at Rs385.54 for diesel and Rs366.58 for petrol.
The announcement comes after recent volatility in fuel prices, with earlier increases linked to rising global oil rates amid Middle East tensions. The government had previously raised prices by up to Rs185 per litre before partially reversing the hike through adjustments in the petroleum levy and subsidies.
On April 6, the federal government, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had decided that markets and shopping malls in the country, barring those in Sindh, would close by 8pm as part of energy conservation measures.
The Sindh government announced on April 10 that all shops, markets, and shopping malls in Karachi and other divisional headquarters across the province will close at 9pm throughout the week, including Saturdays and Sundays as part of austerity measures aligned with the federal government's directive.