How to Extend Electricity Load or Get Three Phase in Pakistan

To extend your electricity load in Pakistan, apply on the ENC portal at enc.com.pk under "Change", tick "Change of Load", choose "Addition of load" and upload four documents, including a wiring test report. NEPRA's rules give the company 30 days for a home up to 15 kW. You pay a fresh security deposit on the whole new load, less what you already paid.

The trigger is usually a second air conditioner, an electric geyser or a solar system. The breaker trips, the voltage drops, and then a notice turns up on the bill saying your load is more than the sanctioned load. We read NEPRA's rules for every distribution company and the online form itself, so the steps below follow both.

Load extension is a change to your sanctioned load

Your sanctioned load is the number of kilowatts (kW) the company agreed to supply when your meter was installed. It is printed on your bill. A load extension raises that number, so the company can check its cable, meter and transformer can carry the extra demand.

NEPRA's Consumer Service Manual, revised and sent to all companies on 26 November 2025, treats load extension as its own application. The officer who sanctions a new connection also sanctions the extension. For a house, shop or general services connection up to 15 kW, that officer is the SDO, the sub divisional officer at your local office.

Moving from single phase to three phase is usually part of the same request. A single phase meter carries one live wire. A three phase meter carries three, so heavy loads can be spread out. The manual says that when the load on a single phase meter approaches 5 kW, the company should issue a notice for load extension and install a ToU (time of use) meter.

Apply online on the ENC portal in five steps

The ENC portal is run by PITC, the power ministry's IT company. It serves LESCO, GEPCO, PESCO, HESCO, SEPCO, QESCO, TESCO and HAZECO. We opened its change form on 1 October 2026 and it answered normally.

1. Open the change form. Go to enc.com.pk and click "Change". The page is titled "Change Connection Name /Tariff /Load Application".
2. Tick "Change of Load". Untick "Change of Name" if you do not need it. Then pick "Addition of load" from the type list.
3. Fill in your numbers. Enter the reference number from your bill, your CNIC and mobile number. Then type your current sanctioned load and the new load, both in kW.
4. Upload four files. The form asks for an attested CNIC copy, a copy of your bill, proof of ownership and a wiring contractor's test report. Each file must be JPG or PDF and under 300 KB.
5. Submit once, then track it. The form warns that nothing can be changed after you press submit. Keep the application number and use "Track" on the same site.

Three companies send you elsewhere. The portal tells IESCO users to apply at iesco.enc.com.pk and FESCO users at fesco.enc.com.pk. MEPCO users are told to use the MEPCO Smart App, the PowerSmart app or a customer facilitation centre. K-Electric is not on ENC at all, so Karachi customers apply through K-Electric.

The documents NEPRA requires for a load extension

Clause 2.14 of the manual lists six things for an extension. Four of them you upload. Two come later as payments, after the company sends you a demand notice.

The bill has to be clear. An unpaid instalment plan blocks the application, so finish it first. If the bill is still in a former owner's name, fix that before you apply, since the change of name on the electricity bill uses the same form and the same officer.

The security deposit is charged on the whole new load

NEPRA's rule is that on extension, the deposit is "updated at prevailing rates for the entire load", minus the deposit already paid. The rates sit in Annexure IV of the 2025 manual.

For homes it is Rs 1,220 a kW in towns and cities and Rs 610 a kW in rural areas. Shops pay Rs 1,810 a kW in urban areas and Rs 920 in rural areas. Part of a kilowatt counts as a full one if it is half or more.

Here is a worked example. An urban house goes from 5 kW to 10 kW. The new deposit is 10 times Rs 1,220, so Rs 12,200. If the old deposit was Rs 6,100, you pay Rs 6,100 more. If it was paid years ago at a lower rate, the gap is bigger. The capital cost, if any, comes on a separate demand notice. We could not find a fixed figure for it on any company page, because it depends on the work at your site.

Deadlines the company must meet

Annexure III of the manual sets the time for new connections and for extension or reduction of load in the same table. Each stage has its own days, and the company must give written reasons for every day of delay, with a copy to NEPRA.

For a load up to 15 kW, the 30 days are 4 for the site survey, 6 for the demand notice, 11 for the work and 9 for the meter. The same figures appear in NEPRA's newer performance standards for every electricity company.

If the deadline passes, ask the sub division in writing for the reasons for each day of delay. Then complain. The route through the company and then NEPRA is set out in our page on how to complain to NEPRA.

If you already use more than your sanctioned load

Most people apply only after a notice. The manual covers that case too.

• The notice comes on your bill. On static or digital meters up to 8 kW, meter readers record the month's MDI, the maximum demand the meter saw. If it is above your sanctioned load, a notice is printed on the bill.
• If you ignore it, the extension happens anyway. The extra deposit is added to your bills in three to six instalments, and the load is extended automatically.
• Some notices give you 15 days. Clause 8.2.10 says a consumer who has gone beyond the sanctioned load must apply within 15 days of the notice. If you do not, the company can disconnect.

Applying yourself is cleaner, because you choose the new load. Solar users should do this first, since net metering also depends on a correct sanctioned load, as our page on net metering rules for 2026 explains.

Common questions

Can I apply for a load extension online?

Yes, for LESCO, GEPCO, PESCO, HESCO, SEPCO, QESCO, TESCO and HAZECO on enc.com.pk under "Change". IESCO and FESCO have their own ENC sub sites, and MEPCO points users to its app.

How long does a load extension take?

Up to 30 days for a load of 15 kW or less, and 44 days above 15 kW up to 70 kW, under NEPRA's Annexure III. The clock runs from a complete application.

Do I need a new meter to go to three phase?

Usually yes. The manual says that when a single phase meter approaches 5 kW, the company should issue a notice for extension and install a ToU meter.

How much security deposit will I pay?

Rs 1,220 a kW for an urban home and Rs 610 a kW for a rural one, on the whole new load, minus what you already paid.

Can I apply if my bill has arrears?

No. The manual requires a last paid bill with no arrears, deferred amount or pending instalments.

Can I reduce my load the same way?

Yes. Pick "Reduction of load" on the same form. The deposit is recalculated and any difference is refunded or charged.

How we verified this

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

Last checked on 1 October 2026. We read NEPRA's revised Consumer Service Manual, sent to companies on 26 November 2025: clauses 2.10, 2.14, 5.2 and 8.2.10, and Annexures III and IV. We opened the ENC change form and read its fields, file rules and notices. We did not submit an application, and we could not find a published capital cost figure, which depends on your site.