Punjab govt's electricity relief to end soon

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government’s relief for electricity consumers using up to 200 units is going to end on September 30, ARY News reported.

Starting from October 1st, the basic tariff for consumers using up to 200 units per month would increase to Rs 7.12 per unit, as the three-month Punjab government relief for electricity consumers is going to end on September 30.

For non-protected consumers using 1 to 100 units, the tariff will increase by Rs 7.11 to Rs 23.59 per unit. For non-protected consumers using 101 to 200 units per month, the tariff will increase by Rs 7.12 to Rs 30.07 per unit.

On the other hand, for protected consumers using 1 to 100 units, the tariff will increase by Rs 3.95 to Rs 11.69 per unit and for protected consumers using 101 to 200 units per month, the tariff will increase by Rs 4.10 to Rs 14.16 per unit.

For lifeline consumers, using up to 50 units per month, the tariff will remain at Rs 3.95 per unit and for lifeline consumers using 51 to 100 units per month, the tariff will remain at Rs 7.74 per unit.

It is worth noting that the federal government had increased the basic electricity tariff to Rs 7.12 per unit in July 2024. The government had exempted consumers from using up to 200 units per month from this increase for three months.

The Punjab government had provided a subsidy of approximately Rs 50 billion for the three-month relief from July to September to give some relief to the masses but it is now going to end.

The end of this relief period is expected to impact a significant number of consumers who will now face higher electricity bills. This increase in tariffs comes at a time when many households are already struggling with rising costs of living.

The government’s decision to end the relief is part of broader efforts to manage the country’s fiscal challenges and reduce the burden of subsidies on the national budget.