Sindh residents to get electricity at lower rates, says minister

Electricity bills continue to be a key concern for Pakistanis despite the federal government's attempts to cut down inflated power tariffs.

The Sindh government, however, now aims to have its own electricity supply and regulatory authority, with the provincial Energy Minister Nasir Hussain Shah saying that the Sindh Assembly has approved the establishment of Sindh Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Sepra).

"Karachi's industry and residents will be provided with cheap electricity under Sepra," Shah said in a statement, adding that the Sindh Assembly has already constitutionally approved the Sepra.

Noting that efforts were underway to ensure that the first power supply is made to K-IV Grid via the Sepra, the minister said that the rate of electricity provided by the provincial authority would be "be much lower than that of the K-Electric" — Karachi's sole electricity supplier.

"We will generate electricity ourselves and distribute it ourselves under Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company (STDC)," Shah said, adding that they would themselves determine the electricity rates as well.

He further stressed that the rates of the electricity provided by the STDC would be independent of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) — the federal body which exclusively regulates electricity supply and its rates across the country.

The energy minister also remarked that people have been recruited in Sepra and a notification will be issued this month.

It is pertinent to know that Nepra, back in January this year, had renewed the KE's power distribution and supply licences for a period of 20 years.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, Nepra approved a reduction of Rs1.89 per unit in electricity prices under the quarterly tariff adjustment for the period April to June 2025.

Once notified, the revised tariff will apply to all power distribution companies (Discos), including K-Electric consumers.

The adjustment will be shown in the August bills, a notification stated.

The price cut will be effective for three months, from August to October 2025, and is expected to provide a total relief of Rs55.8 billion to electricity consumers across the country.