Rs 16,000 bill for 95 units: only a quarter is electricity cost

KARACHI: Residents in major cities including the federal capital Islamabad and provincial capitals Peshawar, Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta are reeling under the burden of exorbitant electricity bills, compounded by multiple layers of taxes, surcharges, and additional charges.

The already high cost of electricity is further inflated by a barrage of penalties, duties, and other fees, making it increasingly difficult for citizens to manage their household expenses.

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The basic unit price of electricity, which is already steep, is just the beginning. Following this are fixed charges, variable charges, and a series of surcharges, including fuel price adjustments and additional surcharges. As if this wasn’t enough, citizens are also hit with electricity duty, sales tax, and even a TV licence fee.

One particularly distressing example comes from a Karachi resident, and a customer of K-Electric, who received a bill for 95 units of electricity totalling Rs 16,000. This amount breaks down to Rs 4,000 for the electricity usage, calculated at Rs 41 per unit during off-peak hours and Rs 48 during peak hours. On top of this, a staggering Rs 4,000 was added in taxes, doubling the initial amount to Rs 8,000. The final blow came with a fuel adjustment charge from the previous year, pushing the total bill to Rs 16,000.

The situation is no better in Islamabad, a customer of IESCO, where a resident faced a bill of Rs 53,000 for consuming 912 units. Out of this, Rs 38,000 was for electricity usage, with an additional Rs 8,000 in GST and Rs 17,000 in fuel adjustment charges. To add insult to injury, the bill also included Rs 800 in meter charges, Rs 35 for a TV licence fee, Rs 3,000 as financing cost (FC) surcharge, and Rs 2,000 for the price of fuel difference.

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These exorbitant charges are putting a significant strain on the finances of ordinary citizens. Many are struggling to pay their bills on time, resulting in additional penalties ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000. Those who are late in paying their bills are being penalised, while power outages and maintenance issues continue to plague them.