Nepra's recent amendment to the 2021 Consumer Service Manual introduces constraints on power companies regarding the installment options for electricity bills.
Consumers now find themselves without the option to pay their electricity bills in multiple installments due to the newly approved regulations by Nepra.
The power regulatory authority revised the regulations, aiming to facilitate power users in settling their dues more conveniently.
According to the notification, electricity bill installments will now be permitted only once a year, with no markup imposed on the first installment if paid by the due date. However, subsequent installments will incur a 14% markup. Requests for due date extensions must be submitted before the due date.
Furthermore, power distribution companies (Discos) are instructed to issue computerized bills for installment and extension requests.
Last August, during the interim government's tenure, discussions were held regarding a proposal to allow power consumers to pay their dues in installments, aiming to alleviate the burden on the inflation-hit public. The proposed plan suggested allowing consumers with bills of up to 400 units to pay off their electricity bills in installments spanning over six months.
Moreover, the stricter policies in the power sector and the surge in electricity rates are partly attributed to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) stringent conditions for lending to Pakistan.
Tariq Ali 
