ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday launched a nationwide “Prime Minister’s Fan Replacement Programme,” aiming to replace more than one million inefficient ceiling fans within a year and ultimately cut peak electricity demand by up to 5,000 megawatts, in what officials called one of the country’s most ambitious energy-efficiency drives.
The programme, inaugurated by Federal Energy Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, is designed to reduce household electricity bills by up to Rs12,000 per fan annually by shifting consumers to high-efficiency, NEECA-certified models. The initiative targets both residential and commercial users and is being implemented by the Power Division in partnership with the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (NEECA).
Leghari said ceiling fans alone account for nearly 70 per cent of the seasonal increase in electricity demand. Of the roughly 17,000 MW surge during summer, about 11,700 MW is attributed to fan usage. By replacing conventional fans with efficient ones that save 70 to 90 watts each, Pakistan can achieve 6,000 to 8,000 MWs in peak load reduction, equivalent to several large power plants, he said. Leghari also said the prime minister had directed that existing net metering consumers remain under the current framework, and the Power Division would approach the regulator, Nepra, accordingly.
Leghari said Pakistan’s energy system has been reshaped by rapid solar adoption, which has sharply reduced daytime demand but created instability for the national grid. Our demand during the day has dropped to around 8,000 MW, yet we still have to maintain power plants all year, he said. He added that electricity prices had fallen by about 20 percent over the past 18 to 20 months and by up to 35pc for industry, despite politically sensitive reforms and introduction of fixed charges.
Officials said the one-million-fan phase is part of a much larger national plan to eventually replace about 88 million inefficient fans out of an estimated 147 million currently in use across Pakistan, a transition expected to significantly ease pressure on the national grid.
The official said that old fans will be taken as scrap at the rate of Rs1,500, and this amount can be adjusted in the price of the new fan. For installing the first fan, the consumer will be charged Rs1,000, and for every additional fan, the installation charge will be Rs800.
The official also said that a list of energy-efficient fans, along with their prices, is available on NEECA’s website, and consumers can choose the fan according to their own preference.
Under the scheme, consumers will pay a fixed Rs1,000 installation service fee per fan. The remaining cost can be financed through low-interest loans, repayable in monthly installments via electricity bills. Unlike earlier proposals, consumers are no longer required to return old fans, a move officials said would accelerate participation.
Climate Change Minister Senator Musadik Malik called the initiative a “milestone” for low-income households struggling with soaring summer power bills. “Energy efficiency is not just an economic issue, it is a survival issue,” he said, linking high energy costs with climate shocks such as floods that have killed more than 6,000 people and wiped out nearly 9pc of Pakistan’s GDP in recent years.
