The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has instructed K-Electric to take urgent steps to enhance its operations and curb load-shedding across Karachi, as power cuts during the intense May heat have stretched up to 12 hours in some areas.
Responding to increasing complaints from residents, NEPRA criticized K-Electric for its performance, stressing that these outages are disrupting both daily life and business in the country’s largest and most industrialized city.
The authority also urged the company to improve its power recovery methods and reduce system losses to ensure a more stable supply.
NEPRA noted that K-Electric has been producing electricity at a high cost and is relying heavily on the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC), which has prevented the utility from offering affordable electricity to consumers.
It warned the company that this situation is unacceptable and imposed penalties for what it called “unjustified load-shedding.”
K-Electric has been ordered to submit a detailed report within a week, outlining the measures it is taking to address these issues.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Energy Awais Ahmad Leghari announced that the government is preparing a review petition against NEPRA’s recent tariff decision regarding K-Electric.
“A review petition has been under preparation,” Leghari told reporters. “We are working to avoid adverse effect on the government and consumers,” he said, expressing hope that NEPRA’s decisions would ultimately serve the best interests of both the country and its people.