KARACHI: K-Electric CEO Moonis Alvi has admitted that electricity rates in Karachi are among the highest in the country, even as residents endure up to 12 hours of load shedding daily in the sweltering summer heat.
Speaking on ARY News’ program Off the Record, Alvi acknowledged the burden on consumers but clarified that electricity prices are set by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), not K-Electric. “We submit our tariff proposals, but the final decision rests with NEPRA,” he said. “We bill consumers as per the government’s directives.”
Alvi noted that K-Electric operates under a non-exclusive license, meaning other companies can also supply power in Karachi. He explained that KE generates electricity primarily from furnace oil and regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG), and suggested that direct gas supply could reduce generation costs.
Addressing power theft and losses, the CEO said a monitoring system tracks theft at the PMT (Pole-Mounted Transformer) level. “Only those areas with high theft are now targeted for disconnections,” he stated.
Alvi claimed 70% of Karachi’s feeders—about 2,200—are exempt from load shedding, while the remaining 30% face losses of up to 87% due to theft and unpaid bills. “If bill recovery improves, we can move toward an uninterrupted power supply,” he concluded.
