Check What Your Electricity Company App Must Offer in Pakistan Under NEPRA Rules

Short answer: NEPRA's 2026 rules say every electricity company must run one consumer app that lets you pay bills, enter your own meter reading, apply for a connection, track a complaint and see planned outages. Companies have 12 months from 25 August 2026 to match the list.

Your bill arrives, the line is busy, and the app asks you to register again. A fixed list of features is the first step to ending that.

We downloaded and read the Performance Standards (Distribution) Regulations 2026 from nepra.org.pk on 14 October 2026. They were notified as SRO 1430(I)/2026 on 25 August 2026. We did not open every company's app, so we cannot say which ones already have each feature.

One app must cover the whole service

Regulation 6 requires each company to build a Consumer Facilitation Application, or CFA. It must be a one-window service for consumers and applicants. A company whose app already works must update it to match the rules within 12 months of notification.

Missing that deadline counts as non-compliance with the standards. The login must work with your mobile number or your consumer number.

The minimum feature list has 20 items

Schedule V lists what the app must offer: view and pay your bill, enter a self meter reading, apply for services, track complaints, see outages and planned maintenance, and update your contact details. Companies may add more, but not offer less.

Each application form must also let you rate the service you got. And a complaint must climb to a senior officer on its own when the time limit passes without a fix.

Your data must be protected

The app must ask for a second check, such as a code, before you pay or change your mobile number, name, tariff or load. Personal and payment data must be encrypted. Staff access must be logged, with the record kept for five years.

A company must also publish a way to report a security problem or data leak. This matters because a changed mobile number can redirect your bill alerts. Always check which number your account holds.

Public dashboards must show service progress

The app must show live feeder outages with the time they began and how many consumers are affected. Over time it must show daily counts of complaints received, solved and pending, and of pending connections with the reason for delay. Some of these update at 10 am and 12 pm each day.

These public views are a way to see whether your sub-division is slow. They also let NEPRA see the same data. For a worked example, read what we found when we tested the websites of Pakistan's electricity companies.

Some of these dashboard items phase in over up to five years. So an app missing one today may not yet be breaking the rule.

How to check your own company's app

Open your company's app and tick off the features one by one. Take screenshots of the ones missing. Then write to your company's complaint centre and ask when each will be added. The app is also the quickest route for a meter reading, so see our guide on how to check your electricity meter reading.

1. Log in with your consumer number or mobile number.
2. Check for bill download, online payment, self reading and past bills.
3. Check for applications, complaint tracking and planned outage schedules.
4. Screenshot anything missing, with the date.
5. Write to the complaint centre and ask for a date. Keep the complaint number, then escalate through NEPRA's complaint route if there is no reply.

What to do while your app catches up

Until the deadline passes, many companies will have gaps. In the meantime, use the helpline or the nearest complaint centre for anything the app cannot do, and ask for a complaint number every time. A number is your proof, whichever channel you use.

Keep your mobile number current at the sub-divisional office. Bill alerts, outage messages and the survey all depend on it.

Common questions

When must every company have the full app?

Within 12 months of the notification date, 25 August 2026. Some dashboard items can take up to five years.

Can I enter my own meter reading in the app?

It is on the required list. The feature is called Self-Meter Reading, and it must generate the bill instantly.

Can I see planned outages in the app?

Yes. The app must show the schedule of planned maintenance and the load management timings for your area.

Is it free to apply for a connection in the app?

The rules require applications through the app. They do not state a fee for using it, so check your company's own charges.

What if my company's app lacks these features?

Report it to your complaint centre now and keep the record. Companies have until August 2027 to comply, so the app is not yet in breach.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 14 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read NEPRA's Performance Standards (Distribution) Regulations 2026, regulation 6 and Schedule V. We did not test any company app, and we could not confirm which features each one offers today.