NEPRA Sets Wheeling Charges, Clearing Way for Pakistan’s First 400MW Power Auction

Meanwhile, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has notified electricity wheeling charges ranging from Rs.

Key points

• The regulator set a uniform loss factor of 8.04% for consumers connected at 11 kilovolts and 1.51% for those connected at 132 kilovolts.
• The commercial market operation date for the CTBCM was declared on January 22, 2026, with the first auction originally scheduled for June.
• The Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO) is projected to conduct the first 400MW auction within the next couple of months.
• While C-2 and C-3 consumers will pay Rs, 25.45 per unit, respectively.
• Under the federal government's framework, 800MW of generation capacity will be auctioned competitively for five years.

Notably, the charges will apply to consumers of all distribution firms, including K-Electric. This person apply the national grid to transport electricity purchased directly from private suppliers under the Competitive Trading Bilateral Contract Market (CTBCM). LESCO Accused of Overbilling Consumers Through Smart Meters.

For context, the rates cover transmission and distribution costs, a fixed grid charge, and cross-subsidies. Consumers will pay these charges along with the agreed electricity supply cost.

Under the competitive auction, B-3 industrial consumers will pay Rs. While B-4 industrial consumers will pay Rs, 6.23 per unit. 9.09 per unit. C-2 and C-3 single-point distribution consumers will face charges ranging from Rs. 14.95 to Rs. 19.62 per unit.

General supply consumers in categories A-2 and A-3 will pay Rs. While agricultural consumers will pay Rs, 19.14 per unit. 6.72 per unit. Unannounced Power Outages Hit Karachi for Second Consecutive Night. Higher Costs Without Auction.

Consumers who do not participate in the competitive wheeling auction will face substantially higher charges, ranging from Rs. 19.17 to Rs. 32.56 per unit, depending on their category.

B-3 and B-4 industrial consumers will pay Rs. 19.17 and Rs. While C-2 and C-3 consumers will pay Rs, 25.45 per unit, respectively. 31.30 and Rs. 32.56 per unit. A-2 and A-3 consumers will pay Rs. 32.08 per unit, and agricultural consumers will pay Rs. 19.66 per unit.

For context, a fixed grid charge of Rs. 1 per kilowatt per month, based on sanctioned load, will apply to both groups, regardless of auction participation. Pakistan at present has slightly more than 3, 000 bulk power consumers.

For context, the commercial market operation date for the CTBCM was declared on January 22, 2026, with the first auction originally scheduled for June. Nevertheless, the auction was delayed as wheeling charges had not been finalized and notified.

Meanwhile, the Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO) is projected to conduct the first 400MW auction within the next couple of months. The administration has allocated 800MW for competitive auctions in two phases. Uniform Rates Throughout the Grid.

NEPRA determined uniform charges after considering input from the Power Division, ISMO, K-Electric, and bulk power consumers. The discussions covered the calculation and settlement of transmission costs, cross-subsidies, differences between distribution firms, and transmission and distribution losses.

Notably, the regulator set a uniform loss factor of 8.04% for consumers connected at 11 kilovolts and 1.51% for those connected at 132 kilovolts.

NEPRA additionally ruled that any further charges required to cover differences among distribution firms and K-Electric would apply to all consumers, including those purchasing electricity through open access and those served by suppliers of last resort.

This approach is intended to ensure that open-access consumers face charges equivalent to those paid by comparable consumers served by their regular suppliers. 800MW Up for Auction.

Under the federal government's framework, 800MW of generation capacity will be auctioned competitively for five years. The volume could growth after the initial trial, subject to administration approval.

ISMO is projected to announce the auction calendar and detailed procedures shortly. Bid values will have no upper or lower limits and will remain fixed for one year.

In practice, the government's earlier timeline under the International Monetary Fund program had targeted approval of auction guidelines in December and NEPRA's approval of uniform wheeling charges in January 2026. Stay Connected with ProPakistani.

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Taken together, the developments around NEPRA Sets Wheeling Charges, Clearing Way for Pakistan's First 400MW Power Auction point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.