Govt Cuts Power for Over Two Hours Daily Instead of Lowering Electricity Prices

The Power Division has unveiled a nationwide electricity loadshedding package to implement controlled electricity shutdowns during evening peak hours to avoid increasing electricity tariffs.

To avoid relying heavily on expensive imported fuels, the government has decided to implement daily load management of around 2.25 hours during peak hours.

The ministry said this measure will help prevent increasing electricity prices rather than impose traditional load shedding.

The ministry said electricity consumers have received Rs. 46 billion in cumulative power relief between July 2025 and February 2026, while the average electricity price declined by 71 paisas per unit despite increasing global fuel prices.

It said the reduction was achieved through system reforms, strict enforcement of the merit order, improved planning, and greater reliance on low-cost power generation sources. Better utilization of generation capacity and improvements in transmission and administrative management also helped reduce operational losses.

It warned that the biggest challenge is managing the evening peak demand window between 5:00 pm and 1:00 am, when electricity consumption rises sharply and hydropower generation declines.

To avoid relying heavily on expensive imported fuels, the government has decided to implement the above-mentioned daily loadshedding schedule.

Without these measures, electricity tariffs could have risen by Rs. 5 to Rs. 6 per unit. The current strategy is expected to limit the potential increase to roughly Rs. 1.5 per unit, while preventing an additional hike of nearly Rs. 3 per unit.

The ministry said all distribution companies have been instructed to publicly share feeder-wise outage schedules.

Authorities said the government remains focused on shielding the public from global energy shocks while maintaining supply stability.