How to Dispute an Electricity Detection Bill in Pakistan
NEPRA's manual caps a home detection bill at 3 billing cycles, puts your billing history first and sets 15 days for the complaint.
To dispute an electricity detection bill in Pakistan, object in writing to your distribution company and ask for the review committee, which must give you a personal hearing. NEPRA's Consumer Service Manual says the bill must be based on your own billing history first, and for a home it may cover only three billing cycles, or up to six months with the CEO's approval. The company must settle a detection bill complaint within 15 days.
Below is what the manual says, in the revised version NEPRA issued on 26 November 2025, and what to ask for the day the bill arrives.
What a detection bill is
A detection bill charges you for electricity the company says was used but not recorded, usually because it says the meter was tampered with or faulty. Clause 9.2.1 of the manual lists the signs that lead to an investigation, such as a broken seal, holes in the meter body, a meter running slow, stopped or reverse, or a shunt or chemical in the meter.
Before a bill can be issued, clause 9.2.2 sets a procedure. The company should secure the meter in front of you or your representative, install a check meter, and then serve a notice that gives you seven days to reply. Only if your reply is not satisfactory, or you do not reply, is the detection bill served.
The order the bill must be worked out in
For a registered consumer, clauses 9.1.3 and 9.2.3 set three methods in order of priority:
| Priority | Method |
|---|---|
| First | Your previous consumption, meaning your own billing history |
| Second | Future undisputed consumption, only if no credible history exists |
| Last | Units = load in kW x load factor x 730 hours x months |
The units already charged in your normal bills for those months must be subtracted. The formula uses your connected or sanctioned load, whichever is higher, and the load factor in Annexure V: 20% for a single phase home and 25% for a three phase home.
Here is why the order matters. On the formula, a 2 kW single phase home is charged 2 x 0.20 x 730 = 292 units a month. If your bills normally show 150 units, a bill built on the formula while your history exists is a specific thing to challenge.
How far back it can go
| Consumer | Maximum period in the manual |
|---|---|
| Home (A-1), commercial (A-2), general services (A-3) | 3 billing cycles, extendable to 6 months only with the CEO's approval or a committee of three senior officers |
| Other registered consumers | 6 billing cycles |
| Unregistered connection (no account at all) | 12 months |
So a home detection bill for more than three months needs written approval at CEO level. Ask to see it. NEPRA has proposed further changes to these rules, which we cover in the proposed detection bill rules, but the limits above are the ones in the current manual.
What to do the day it arrives
- Do not ignore it. The manual says the bill comes with a disconnection notice for payment within seven days.
- Object in writing at the sub division and ask for the review committee hearing under clause 9.2.4. Keep a stamped copy.
- Ask which method was used, the months charged, the load and load factor, and the approval if it covers more than three months.
- Ask for the notice, the check meter readings and any photos or video. Clause 9.1.4 says photos or video are recorded as evidence.
- Bring 12 months of your own bills for the same season.
Clause 9.2.5 also says a theft detection bill must be issued separately, showing the reasons, units, amount, period and taxes. A detection charge folded into your normal bill without those details is worth questioning.
Compare it against your own history
Pull your old bills by reference number. Our guides to checking a GEPCO bill and checking a MEPCO bill show the lookup, and what every line on your electricity bill means helps you separate the detection charge from the tariff, fuel adjustment and taxes.
If you are buying a property, check for a detection charge on the account before the transfer, because dues stay with the connection. The steps are in changing the name on an electricity bill.
Escalating beyond the company
Clause 10.3.1(g) says the company must settle a detection bill complaint within 15 days of receiving it. If the review committee rules against you, or the company misses that limit, complain to NEPRA through the route in our NEPRA complaint guide, and take the bill, your written objection, the inspection papers and your billing history.
If theft is alleged, clause 9.2.4(c) says the company informs the police, so the matter can go beyond a billing dispute. Get legal advice at that point rather than handling it at the counter.
Common questions about detection bills
How far back can a detection bill go for a home?
Three billing cycles under the current NEPRA manual, extendable to six months only with the approval of the company's CEO or a committee of three senior officers.
Can I refuse to pay while I dispute it?
The bill comes with a seven day disconnection notice, and after the review committee decides, non payment can lead to disconnection. Object in writing at once and ask for the hearing rather than simply withholding.
Does the company have to use my billing history?
Yes, first. The load based formula is the last of three methods, for use only when history and future undisputed consumption cannot be used.
How quickly must the company decide my complaint?
Within 15 days of receiving it, under clause 10.3.1(g) of the manual.
What if my meter was faulty rather than tampered with?
Ask for the meter to be tested and for the result in writing. The manual also says a defective meter should be replaced within two billing cycles.
How we verified this
What we checked and where we read it.
We read clauses 9.1.3 to 9.2.5, 10.3.1 and Annexure V of NEPRA's revised Consumer Service Manual, issued by NEPRA on 26 November 2025, in the copy MEPCO publishes on its website, on 7 November 2026. Proposed amendments that NEPRA has not yet approved are not treated as rules here. This is general information, not legal advice.
Last checked 8 November 2026.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
