Check QESCO's Loss Target in Balochistan: NEPRA Allows 13.81%, QESCO Lost 29.77%
NEPRA's 15 April 2026 decision sets QESCO's loss target at 13.81%, or 8.60% if a study is late. See the five year table and check the decision in five steps.
NEPRA has set QESCO's provisional loss target at 13.81% for FY 2025-26 and FY 2026-27. In 2023-24 QESCO lost 29.77% of its power, more than double the 14.04% NEPRA allowed. The target is in NEPRA's decision of 15 April 2026 on QESCO's five year investment plan. If the loss study is late, 8.60% applies.
QESCO supplies Quetta and most of Balochistan. We read the full decision on NEPRA's QESCO page. This guide gives the numbers, the deadline and the steps to check them yourself.
QESCO lost 29.77% in 2023-24 against a 14.04% target
NEPRA's decision lists QESCO's actual losses for each year of the last plan. In FY 2023-24 QESCO lost 29.77% of the electricity it received, while NEPRA's target was 14.04%. NEPRA counts the cost of the excess loss at Rs 36.74 billion that year.
QESCO stayed above target in every year shown. The table below uses the figures printed in the decision. The decision's loss table stops at FY 2023-24, so the latest year here is 2023-24, not 2024-25. NEPRA's separate performance report has a 2024-25 figure for QESCO.
| Year | NEPRA target | QESCO actual loss | Cost of excess loss (Rs billion) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2019-20 | 17.15% | 26.68% | 10.93 |
| FY 2020-21 | 14.70% | 27.90% | 13.42 |
| FY 2021-22 | 14.49% | 28.06% | 18.58 |
| FY 2022-23 | 14.27% | 26.72% | 21.21 |
| FY 2023-24 | 14.04% | 29.77% | 36.74 |
The decision also covers bill recovery. QESCO collected less than half of what it billed in every year, and only 31.79% in FY 2023-24. NEPRA says this lifted the sector's debt from Rs 31.28 billion in FY 2019-20 to Rs 104.32 billion.
The provisional target is 13.81% in four parts
NEPRA approved 13.81% for FY 2025-26 and FY 2026-27 while an outside consultant studies QESCO's losses. It is built from high voltage loss, low voltage loss, an administrative allowance and transmission loss. The fallback is far lower.
| Part of the loss target | Provisional target | If the study is late |
|---|---|---|
| High voltage (11 kV) loss | 9.62% | 5.88% |
| Low voltage (400/230 V) loss | 2.05% | 1.80% |
| Administrative loss allowance | 1.00% | Not listed |
| Total distribution loss | 12.67% | 7.68% |
| Transmission loss | 1.30% | 1.00% |
| Total T&D loss | 13.81% | 8.60% |
QESCO cut its plan from Rs 80,460 million to Rs 51,577 million
QESCO first asked for Rs 80,460 million, then cut the plan to Rs 51,577 million. The reason is solar. The first plan assumed the old load before solar, and farm tube wells have since been disconnected from the grid.
In the last plan QESCO spent Rs 67,915 million of the Rs 76,511 million NEPRA approved, about 89%. NEPRA said the shortfall of around 11% came mainly from late release of federal and provincial development funds.
The decision repeats a rule for the new plan. Costs of delays or overruns beyond the approved schedule are borne by QESCO, not passed to consumers. That wording appears several times in the project notes.
A late loss study means an 8.60% target
NEPRA told QESCO to hire an international consultant to study its losses within nine months of the 7 January 2026 tariff decision. We count that as about 7 October 2026. If no study arrives, 8.60% applies and the difference is reworked later.
NEPRA says it will use a submitted study at the next tariff rebasing, January 2027, or at the mid-term review in December 2027. We did not see a study or a NEPRA notice about it on the pages we read on 14 October 2026.
For a wider view of how weak recovery hurts the sector, read how each power company recovers its costs. For a Quetta bill, use the guide to QESCO bill check online.
Check the decision yourself in five steps
The decision is public on NEPRA's QESCO page, so you can read the same paragraphs. The tables sit in a few places, so you do not need to read all 71 pages. Each step below names the paragraph to open.
- Open the QESCO page on nepra.org.pk.
- Find the entry dated 15-04-2026 on the Distribution Investment Plan and Losses Assessment.
- Open the PDF and go to paragraphs 63 to 68 for past spending, losses and recovery.
- Read paragraph 274 for the provisional table and paragraph 275 for the fallback table.
- Read paragraph 276 for when NEPRA will review the targets.
Common questions about QESCO's loss target
What is QESCO's loss target?
NEPRA allows 13.81% total loss for FY 2025-26 and FY 2026-27. It is a provisional figure until an outside study is done.
How much did QESCO lose in 2023-24?
QESCO lost 29.77% against a NEPRA target of 14.04%. NEPRA put the cost of the excess loss at Rs 36.74 billion.
What happens if QESCO misses the study deadline?
The target becomes 8.60%. NEPRA says the money effect will be reworked in a later adjustment.
When will NEPRA review the targets?
NEPRA says it will use the study at the next tariff rebasing in January 2027 or the mid-term review in December 2027.
Does this raise my electricity bill?
We cannot say. The decision sets targets and investment rules, not a unit price. Any money effect would come through a later NEPRA adjustment.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 14 October 2026. Every figure comes from NEPRA's decision of 15 April 2026 on QESCO's Distribution Investment Plan and Losses Assessment, on the QESCO page of nepra.org.pk. The PDF is a scan, so check the printed table before you quote a decimal. The decision's loss table ends at FY 2023-24, so we do not give a 2024-25 figure. The study deadline date is our own count.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
