ISLAMABAD, September 4, 2026: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has increased electricity prices across Pakistan under monthly and quarterly adjustments, adding to the burden on consumers, ARY News reported.
According to the notification, electricity has been made Rs2.06 per unit more expensive under the monthly adjustment for July 2026. The increase will also apply to K-Electric consumers.
The monthly adjustment will be charged in September electricity bills and will transfer an additional burden of more than Rs33 billion to consumers.
Meanwhile, electricity has also been made 52 paisa per unit more expensive across the country under the quarterly adjustment.
NEPRA has sent its decision regarding the quarterly adjustment for the period from April to June 2026 to the federal government.
The quarterly adjustment will remain applicable for three months, from September to November 2026, and will also apply to K-Electric consumers.
The quarterly adjustment will place an additional burden of Rs12.67 billion on electricity consumers.
Earlier, the Power Division decided to introduce fundamental reforms to the detection billing system to protect electricity consumers from unnecessary hardships and additional financial burdens.
The initiative is part of a broader ongoing reform process in the power sector led by Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, aimed at providing maximum relief to consumers and ensuring effective protection of their rights, according to a press release.
In the past, detection bills were issued in cases involving meter malfunctions, technical faults or the inability to accurately record electricity consumption. Under the relevant rules and regulations, consumption was estimated to calculate such bills.
However, in some cases, the estimated consumption did not correspond to actual usage, resulting in inflated bills and lengthy grievance-redressal processes for consumers. The scope for human intervention in the system also raised concerns over transparency and possible irregularities, the statement said.
Taking notice of these issues, the Power Division, under the leadership of Minister Awais Leghari, has decided to digitise and automate the detection billing system to minimise human intervention and discretionary powers.
In this regard, directions have been issued to all distribution companies to incorporate the necessary amendments into NEPRA’s Consumer Service Manual and take other relevant measures.
Under the new system, detection billing and related recovery processes will be monitored on a monthly basis to ensure the timely identification of overbilling and abnormal trends, allowing prompt corrective action.
The minister said the primary objective of the ongoing power-sector reforms was to provide maximum convenience and relief to consumers.
He added that reforms to the detection billing system would help protect consumer rights, enhance transparency in the billing process and further strengthen public confidence in the power sector.
