ISLAMABAD – The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has issued a stern letter to K-Electric, criticizing its handling of prolonged load shedding in Karachi and warning that shutting down feeders for bill recovery is neither ethical nor legal.
The regulatory body stated that it has received a surge of complaints from residents across Karachi regarding power outages exceeding 12 hours in some areas, with individual reports pointing to load shedding ranging from 2.5 to 3 hours. Amid the current heatwave, NEPRA said, such prolonged power cuts are unbearable and severely impacting public life, commercial activities, and the broader economy.
In the letter, NEPRA directed K-Electric to take immediate and effective steps to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply, emphasizing that the utility’s performance has been in continuous decline. The letter cited rising transmission and distribution losses, inadequate recovery, and poor planning, despite K-Electric having access to 1,600 MW from the national grid and cheaper electricity sources.
It further criticized the company for operating some of its own power plants at partial capacity while continuing to impose load shedding — a move NEPRA labeled as a sign of mismanagement.
NEPRA reminded K-Electric that it had previously fined the company for unjustified load shedding and noted that instead of making improvements, the utility sought regulatory leniency.
Importantly, the letter stressed that disconnecting feeders to force recovery is against both legal standards and ethical business practices. NEPRA also rejected K-Electric’s justification that negative Fuel Cost Adjustments (FCA), which have lowered consumer bills in recent months, led to increased non-payment of bills.
The regulator concluded by stating that K-Electric must prioritize eliminating load shedding, improving recoveries, and reducing losses, and warned that it expects urgent corrective actions without delay.