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Pakistan may face another wave of expensive electricity in 2026 as regulators begin reviewing a proposal that could push power tariffs higher nationwide. The move comes after the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) submitted its new price range for the upcoming fiscal year, signalling that consumers and industries should prepare for costlier bills.
The proposal, presented during a public hearing on Tuesday, suggests setting the national power purchase price between Rs. 25.69 and Rs. 26.69 per unit a key benchmark that ultimately shapes what households and businesses pay. The discussion marks the start of an annual process that determines the country’s power cost structure.
At the hearing, NEPRA Chairman Wasim Mukhtar oversaw questioning as CPPA officials defended the higher price estimates, citing fuel trends, electricity demand projections, and exchange-rate assumptions. However, Member Nepra Rafiq Ahmed Sheikh called the submission “incomplete,” stressing that weak data cannot justify locking consumers into another year of costly electricity.
Business groups also raised alarm. FPCCI’s Rehan Javed warned that the latest numbers show “electricity will not become cheaper,” adding that high energy costs are already undermining industrial competitiveness.
KCCI’s Tanveer Bari urged NEPRA not to inflate dollar assumptions, saying, “Even a small depreciation pushes the cost of power generation sharply upward.”
The regulator will continue examining the CPPA’s application and consult industry stakeholders before announcing the final national power purchase price for FY2026 later this year.
