Rising Commercial Tariff in 2025: How Smart Event Planners Are Helping Punjab Businesses Cut Event Power Costs

Government striving to cut power tariffs - Business - DAWN.COM

The latest NEPRA notification (S.O. 2025) has pushed GEPCO’s commercial tariff to Rs 58–68 per unit during peak hours (Apr–Oct: 6:30 pm–10:30 pm) and Rs 48–55 off-peak for B-2 and B-3 consumers.

Add 17 % GST, Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA currently Rs 7.2/unit), and Electricity Duty, and a single corporate annual dinner or product launch can easily add Rs 150,000–400,000 to your electricity bill if you run heavy lighting, sound systems, and air-conditioning on the grid.

Yet, many factories in Gujranwala, export houses in Sialkot, and corporate offices in Gujrat are now organizing bigger, brighter events while paying 30–55 % less on power. How? 

They stopped treating electricity as a fixed cost and started treating it like a line item that can be negotiated, shifted, and optimized — and they hire professional corporate event planners who already know the tricks.

Here’s exactly what smart event companies are doing for Punjab businesses in 2025.

1. Shifting Events Out of Peak Hours (25–40 % Instant Saving)

A 300-person annual dinner that starts at 8:00 pm and ends at 11:30 pm falls squarely in the peak slab. The same event scheduled from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm (or 10:30 pm to 3:00 am) drops straight into the off-peak tariff.

Real example: A Sialkot surgical company saved Rs 184,000 in one night by moving their dealer meet start time two hours earlier. Professional planners now write the timeline around GEPCO peak windows, not just guest convenience.

2. Pre-Negotiating Temporary Additional Load Instead of Overloading Existing Connection

Most factories have a 50–100 kW sanctioned load. A corporate gala with 100 moving heads, 20 AC units, and a 50 kW sound system easily crosses 250 kW. Instead of paying a penalty (up to 200 % extra on excess units), event planners now:

  • Apply for temporary additional load 15 days in advance (GEPCO form A-37)
  • Pay the fixed demand charges only for the event month
  • Avoid slab jumping from B-2(a) to B-3

A Gujranwala rice mill group paid only Rs 38,000 extra for a 200 kW temporary load for their annual dinner instead of the Rs 220,000 in penalties they paid the previous year.

3. Replacing Traditional Lighting with LED & Battery-Powered Solutions

Old 1000-watt halogens are being swapped for 120-watt RGB LED bars. A full stage that used to pull 45 kW now runs on 8–10 kW.

Many planners now bring lithium-battery uplights and wireless LED décor that charge during the day and run on zero grid power at night. Result: 60–70 % drop in lighting load.

4. Hybrid Generator + Grid Strategy

Diesel is currently Rs 272/liter, but running a 500 kVA generator for 5 hours still costs less than peak-hour grid for loads above 200 kW. Smart planners run generators only for the peak window (6:30 pm–10:30 pm) and switch back to cheaper grid after 10:30 pm. Auto Transfer Switch (ATS) makes it seamless for guests.

5. Solar-Powered Day Events & Outdoor Activations

Companies launching new products in 2025 are choosing 11 am–4 pm slots at farmhouses or rooftops. Event planners bring 20–50 kW portable solar trailers (now available on daily rent in Lahore/Gujranwala) and run the entire sound system, LED screens, and charging stations on free solar — zero GEPCO units.

6. Accurate Load Calculation Before the Event

Professional planners now do a proper load audit:

  • Sound: 40–80 kW
  • Lighting: 10–60 kW
  • Air-conditioning: 3 tons = ~10 kW
  • Kitchen & misc: 20–40 kW

They submit exact figures to GEPCO and avoid both under-sanction (penalties) and over-sanction (unnecessary fixed charges).

7. Including Power Management in the Package

Leading corporate event companies now quote two prices:

  • Traditional package (client pays electricity separately)
  • All-inclusive package (event company guarantees total power cost under a fixed amount)

Because they control the equipment and timing, they can confidently cap the bill.

Real Case Studies from 2025 Season (GEPCO Region)

  • A Gujranwala fan manufacturer spent Rs 1.05 million on electricity for 2023 annual dinner. In 2025, with professional planning, the same 450-person event cost Rs 410,000 — 61 % saving.
  • Sialkot leather exporter hosted 800 dealers in March 2025. By shifting to 3 pm–10 pm timing, LED lighting, and temporary load, the power bill dropped from Rs 680,000 to Rs 275,000.
  • A pharmaceutical company in Hafizabad ran their family day 100 % on rented solar trailers — GEPCO bill for the day: Rs 4,800 only.

The Bottom Line for Punjab Businesses

Electricity is no longer an uncontrollable expense at corporate events. In 2025, the companies paying the least are those that stopped organizing events themselves and started partnering with planners who treat power the same way they treat catering or décor — as a cost that can be engineered down.

If you’re planning your annual dinner, product launch, dealer meet, or awards night in Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, or any GEPCO-covered city this year, talk to an event company that already includes “power optimization” in its scope. The savings will easily pay their fee many times over.