NEPRA Proposes CSM Amendments to Enable Bulk Consumers to Buy Power from Multiple Suppliers

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has proposed amendments to its Consumer Service Manual (CSM) to allow Bulk Power Consumers (BPCs) to purchase electricity simultaneously from the Supplier of Last Resort (SoLR) and one or more competitive suppliers.

 

The proposed changes are intended to implement amendments made to NEPRA’s Consumer Eligibility Criteria (Electric Power Suppliers) Regulations, 2022, through SRO 635(I)/2026, while supporting the Competitive Trading Bilateral Contract Market (CTBCM).

 

Under the proposed framework, a BPC with a sanctioned load of at least 1 megawatt would be able to allocate fixed percentages of its total electricity and capacity requirements between the SoLR and competitive suppliers.

 

The combined share contracted with the SoLR and all competitive suppliers would have to equal 100% of the consumer’s total energy and capacity requirements.

 

NEPRA noted that the existing CSM, last revised in November 2025, does not provide detailed procedures for consumers using multiple electricity suppliers or for switching between the regulated SoLR and competitive suppliers. The proposed amendments aim to establish the operational rules needed to implement the existing regulatory framework.

 

The changes could particularly benefit industrial and other large electricity consumers by giving them greater flexibility in sourcing power. Consumers would be able to retain a portion of their requirements with the regulated SoLR while purchasing the remainder through bilateral agreements with competitive suppliers.

 

The proposed amendments also cover practical matters including connections, metering, billing, settlement procedures and switching between suppliers.

 

Under the emerging competitive market structure, electricity supplied by the SoLR would continue to follow regulated and uniform terms, while power obtained from competitive suppliers would be governed by bilateral agreements. Applicable regulated charges, including use-of-system charges, would continue to apply.

 

NEPRA has invited industry associations, consumers and other stakeholders to review the proposed amendments and identify potential implementation issues. The Authority has also encouraged industry-level consultations to develop practical recommendations.

 

Stakeholders have been given 30 days from publication of the public notice to submit their comments and feedback.

 

The proposed framework marks another step towards expanding electricity supplier choice for large consumers and advancing competition in Pakistan’s power market.