ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of complaints regarding the “protected consumers” category in electricity billing and has directed the formation of a high-level committee to review the issue.
According to sources, the committee will examine a proposal to increase the limit for protected consumers from 200 to 300 units. Under the current policy, consumers using 201 units for a single month are removed from the protected category for six months, resulting in an additional monthly bill of about Rs5,000 during that period.
The committee will prepare a report on whether to keep the limit at 200 units or extend it to 300 units. The suggestion under review is to start the non-protected category from 301 units instead of 201. Lawmakers have also argued that it is unfair for consumers to pay six months of higher bills for exceeding the limit by just one unit.
— ALSO READ —
ECP sets August 29 deadline for parties’ financial statements
Sources said the committee’s recommendations will be presented to the cabinet, with the aim of resolving the issue for low-income households, as those consuming up to 200 units are usually from lower-income groups. The government has stated it is committed to providing maximum relief to the poor.
