XWDiscos’ electricity use from the national grid is steadily declining.

Ex-Wapda power distribution companies’ (XWDiscos’) electricity consumption from the national grid is steadily declining; in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, it decreased by as much as 19 percent.

According to official data, discos used an average of 10.85% less electricity, or 37,232 GWh, during the first quarter (July to September) of FY2024–25 compared to the total reference drawl of 41,762 GWh. The data shows that over the first three months of the current fiscal year, discos have reduced their electricity use from 4% to 19%.

The lowest drawl was 18.99 percent for Quetta Electricity Supply Company, 15.76 percent for Multan Electric Power Company, 14.48 percent for Faisalabad Electric Supply Company, 14.47 percent for Peshawar Electric Supply Company, 8.41 percent for Lahore Electric Supply Company, 7.37 percent for Tribal Electric Supply Company, and 6.14 percent for Gujranwala Electric Power Company. According to the data, during the first three months of FY2024–25, the actual drawl decreased by 5.62 percent, 4.54 percent, and 4.02 percent, respectively, in comparison to the reference by Sukkur Electric Power Company, Hyderabad Electric Supply Company, and Islamabad Electric Supply Company.

With a 20.44 percent decrease from the standard 15,160 GWh to the actual 12,061 GWh, August saw the largest drawl fall by the Discos. Due to a number of variables, including a decrease in demand as more customers choose solar power and commercial load shedding by distribution firms, discos have seen a fall in drawl.

Interestingly, over the first four months (July–October) of the current fiscal year 2024–25, the amount of electricity generated has decreased by 5.43 percent. While power generation rose 7% to 10,262 GWh in October 2024 from 9,572 GWh in the same month the previous year, it fell nearly 18% from the 12,487 GWh generated in September 2024.