ISLAMABAD:
The Power Division said on Tuesday that due to the increasing demand for electricity during peak hours, electricity will be suspended for about 2.25 hours daily between
“The purpose of this load management is to reduce the use of expensive fuel and prevent an increase in electricity prices,” the Power Division spokesman said in a statement. “This step can prevent an increase of approximately Rs 3 per unit,” he added.
The statement further said that distribution companies had been instructed to share feeder-wise outage plans with consumers at all levels to ensure awareness of shutdown times.
“No unscheduled interruptions will be allowed. In case of local faults, the concerned offices will inform the consumers accordingly,” it added.
The spokesman further said that electricity consumers got relief worth Rs 46 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 result of reforms, relief packages, strict implementation of merit order and effective planning,” he added.
He further said that the use of cheap energy sources and better utilization of generation capacity helped control prices, while improvements in transmission and administrative systems reduced losses. “Despite challenging global conditions, power generation in the country remains stable,” he said, adding that the system is still able to meet demand.
According to the spokesperson, 80 MMCFD of local gas has been supplied to power plants, helping prevent tariff hikes. “This has prevented an increase of 80 paisa per unit and additional load management,” he said. He warned that despite reduced consumption of furnace oil, an increase of about Rs 1.5 per device 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 spokesman said the situation is being closely monitored under the Prime Minister’s supervision and the government is ensuring that the public is not overburdened despite global challenges. He added that a coordinated closure of commercial markets during peak hours could further reduce demand and help stabilize prices.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on April 10 announced a reduction of Rs135 per liter in high-speed diesel prices and Rs12 per liter in petrol. The finance ministry said the new rates are Rs 385.54 for diesel and Rs 366.58 for petrol.
The announcement comes after recent volatility in fuel prices, with previous increases linked to rising global oil prices amid Middle East tensions. The government had earlier hiked prices by up to Rs 185 per liter before partially reversing the increase through adjustments in oil duty and subsidies.
On April 6, the federal government in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had decided that markets and malls in the country, except those in Sindh, would close at 20.00 as part of energy saving measures.
The Sindh government announced on April 10 that all shops, markets and malls in Karachi and other divisional headquarters across the province will close at
