Why Your Electricity Bill is Punching You in the Wallet (Even When You're Using Less)
Written by TheHowExpert
Okay, be honest: Have you recently looked at your electricity bill, squinted at the total, and gone, “Yeh toh meri kidney ka EMI lag raha hai!” You’re not the only one. Pakistanis everywhere are scratching their heads like bhai, light toh chalti bhi nahi, bill kaise upar jaa raha hai?
Well, spoiler alert: The real reason isn’t because you're secretly running a Bitcoin mine in your basement. It’s something sneakier: Capacity Charges — and they’ve been eating your money faster than biryani disappears at a wedding.
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So… What the Heck Are Capacity Charges?
Alright, picture this: You call a Careem ride, the driver says “Main tayar hoon boss” and parks outside your house all day, but you never get in the car.
Now imagine you still have to pay him.
Sounds insane, right? That’s literally how capacity charges work. Power generation companies get paid just for being on standby. Doesn’t matter if you used the electricity or not — as long as the plant is “ready to generate,” they send you the bill like “yeh lo ji, khud hi bhugto.”
The 900% Plot Twist You Didn’t See Coming ๐ธ
Back in 2015, capacity charges were around Rs. 141 billion. Fast forward to 2024, and guess what? That number has blown up to a shocking Rs. 1,400 billion.
Yep. That’s 900% more. Even your favorite cryptocurrency didn’t grow that fast (and it doesn’t burn coal).
So where’s this crazy amount going?
It’s being paid to coal and LNG-based power plants that were built to “secure our future energy needs.”
That would’ve been fine if they were actually being used. But a lot of these plants are chilling on standby, doing nothing but still getting their cheques. A proper salary without work situation — must be nice.
Dollar ki Maar: Imported Fuel ka Tarka
And because we Pakistanis love imported stuff (especially when it's double the price), many of these power plants run on imported coal and LNG.
Now, pair that with a rising dollar rate and BOOM — your electricity costs are not just burning your wallet, they're deep-frying it in dollar-flavored oil.
It’s like ordering biryani, getting plain rice, and being told, “Sir, imported zafran tha is liye mehnga hai.”
PAC ka Parda Faash ๐
Recently, this issue popped up at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting, where some auditors (finally!) raised an eyebrow like “Bro, yeh kya ho raha hai?”
They questioned the logic behind:
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Paying for unused electricity,
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Relying on imported fuel while the dollar is dancing bhangra,
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And passing ALL of it on to the common user.
Meanwhile, most of us are just trying to afford daal and roti — not bankroll idle power stations.
Kya Karein? (Besides Crying Silently on Bill Day)
Honestly? It’s high time we switched gears and:
✅ Demanded transparency — We deserve to know what we're paying for. Yeh koi Netflix subscription nahi jisme kuch samajh bhi nahi aa raha.
✅ Invested in local, renewable energy — Solar, wind, hydro. Let’s harness our sun before it burns our backs and our bank accounts.
✅ Held policymakers accountable — Energy shouldn’t be a luxury. It’s a basic necessity, not a five-star hotel service.
Funny (But True) Signs Capacity Charges Have Ruined You
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You now switch off your Wi-Fi when you’re not using it, just in case the bill notices.
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Your family eats dinner in the dark for “ambience.”
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UPS chal raha ho toh lagta hai Eid aa gayi.
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You're seriously considering shifting to a village with no connection — just goats and peace.
Final Thoughts from TheHowExpert
Look, we get it. Capacity charges might sound like boring policy lingo — but when they hit your bill like a 100kg wrestler, they suddenly become very, very real.
This isn’t just an electricity problem. It’s a planning problem, a priority problem, and yes — a policy problem.
But until the people in charge stop throwing imported coal on this fire, all we can do is stay woke, speak out, and maybe, just maybe, start looking into solar panels the way we look at iPhones — shiny, expensive, but worth every rupee.
๐ Bonus Tip:
Start checking your bill breakdowns. If there's a “Capacity Charge” line that looks like your entire month’s salary, you now know who to blame.
#PowerToThePeople #ElectricBillBlues #CapacityScam #EnergyCrisisPakistan #TheHowExpert
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