The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has issued a show cause notice to K-Electric (KE) after the power distribution company failed to submit a satisfactory reply over discriminatory policies over loadshedding in Karachi.

Nepra had earlier taken serious notice of alleged excessive and persistent loadshedding during summers, and directed KE to end consumers’ miseries.

In a letter to the KE chief executive officer, the regulatory body stated that it had received a large number of complaints regarding persistent and excessive loadshedding across various areas of Karachi.

In a notice issued on June 23, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the power regulatory said the power distribution companies are obligated to supply electricity on a “non-discriminatory” basis to all consumers, and shall have schedules to shed up to 30pc of its load on instructions of the NTDC.

When instructed, power distribution companies (Discos) can announce loadshedding in the order namely: supply to rural areas, residential consumers in urban area, agriculture consumers, industries, school and hospitals, and defence installations.

The regulator said power companies should prepare loadsheding schedules in a non- discriminatory manner.

Nepra sought on explanation from KE on January 8, 2025, for non-compliance of the of the authority’s orders, and carrying out loadshedding in violation of Nepra Act.

In this regard, a feeder containing commercial losses (theft and non-payment of dues by some consumers) is completely switched off for some hours a day despite the fact that some consumers are regular paying consumers.

“This establishes that compliant consumers are unnecessarily being punished due to some defaulters,” it added.

Nepra said the power company can carry out load shedding at pole-mounted transformer (PMT) level on the instructions of the regulator or in case of generation shortage and transmission constraints.

It said KE has installed AMI/AMR meters to identify specific energy losses at transformer level and could remotely disconnect the supply. However, despite achieving commercial benefits, it is “not ready to provide relief to the people of Karachi”.

It added that during public hearings regarding Fuel Cost Adjustment (FCA), the “people of Karachi largely complained about excessive loadshedding”.

Nepra has issued directives KE to start loadshedding on PMT level instead of feeder level, but noted a serious non-compliance which has led to “undue suffering of good paying consumers and faced discriminatory behaviour in terms of receiving electric power supply which (is) their basic right.”

KE submitted in response on January 27, 2025, and after detailed deliberation, Nepra concluded that the power company failed to provide a satisfactory explanation.

Nepra served a show cause notice to the power company and instructed to submit a reply within fifteen days.

It warned that failure to comply could lead to a maximum penalty of Rs200 million and further penalty of Rs100,000 per day.