Islamabad: The Power Division has announced daily load shedding of two and a quarter hours (2.25 hours) during peak hours across the country.
According to the Power Division spokesperson, the government is facing the biggest challenge of rising electricity consumption during peak hours.
Load shedding of 2.25 hours will be implemented daily from 5:00 PM to 1:00 AM.
The spokesperson stated that DISCOs have been directed to share the power suspension schedules with consumers.
The government will take all possible steps to provide relief to the public.
He further said that timely closure of commercial markets at federal and provincial levels can help reduce electricity demand.
Lowering demand will also help minimize any possible increase in electricity prices. Reducing the use of expensive fuel will also help control tariff hikes.
The spokesperson revealed that despite rising fuel prices, the government provided Rs46 billion in relief to electricity consumers from July to February, making electricity 71 paisa cheaper per unit.
This was achieved through efficient use of low-cost energy sources and improved generation capacity, along with reduced losses at transmission and distribution levels.
He added that despite difficult global conditions, electricity production in the country remains stable, and Pakistan is fully capable of generating electricity according to demand.
On the directives of the Prime Minister, the situation is being continuously monitored.
The PM has instructed that there should be no excessive increase in electricity prices.
As per PM’s directions, 80 MMCFD of local gas has been supplied to power plants, which has prevented an 80 paisa per unit increase and avoided additional load management.
The purpose of this load management is to stop a potential Rs3 per unit increase in electricity tariffs.
The spokesperson said that even with limited use of furnace oil, an increase of around Rs1.5 per unit is still expected.
Without timely actions, the increase could have been as high as Rs5 to Rs6 per unit.
