How to Complain About a Wrong Electricity Bill

A wrong electricity bill is not something you have to pay and argue about later. There is a formal escalation ladder, it is free, and it ends at the regulator.

Most people either pay a bill they know is wrong, or shout at a counter clerk who cannot fix it. Neither works. This is the order that does.

The ladder, in order

1. Your DISCO's own complaint cell. LESCO, IESCO, MEPCO, K-Electric and the rest each run one. The common helpline is 118. This is where it has to start, and skipping it is why complaints get bounced.
2. The Pakistan Citizen's Portal. This gives you a tracked grievance with a reference number and a named official, and it costs nothing.
3. WAPDA, where the problem is generation or supply rather than your bill.
4. NEPRA, the regulator, as the last resort.

Each rung needs evidence from the one below it. NEPRA acting on your complaint depends heavily on you having a DISCO tracking number to show that you tried.

How to reach NEPRA

NEPRA also publishes a Consumer Service Manual, which is the document setting out what a distribution company is actually obliged to do. If a DISCO tells you something is not possible, that manual is where you check.

The mistake that loses most complaints

This is worth more than the rest of the page.

Argue about units, not about the total.

A bill total moves for several reasons at once. Tariff changes, fuel cost adjustments, quarterly adjustments and taxes all shift it, and none of those are errors. A complaint that says "my bill is too high" invites a perfectly correct reply explaining an adjustment, and then the matter is closed.

A complaint that says "my meter shows 340 units and I have been billed for 610" is a factual dispute somebody has to check. That is the complaint that gets corrected.

So before you complain:

• Photograph the meter with the date visible.
• Note the units billed on the disputed bill, not the amount.
• Keep the previous three bills so you can show what your normal consumption looks like.
• Get the DISCO tracking number when you first complain, and write it down.

What is worth complaining about

These are the cases the system is built for:

• Detection bills issued for alleged theft or a faulty meter, often for large amounts covering months
• Estimated readings where nobody visited the meter
• A jump with no change in usage, where the units themselves are wrong
• A faulty or stopped meter, or one running fast
• Being billed after disconnection, or for a period you did not occupy the property
• Refusal to correct an error the DISCO has already accepted

What is not an error

Being honest here saves people weeks arguing about something correct.

If your units are the same and the total has risen, look at the adjustment lines before complaining. A relief that ended, a quarterly adjustment or a fuel cost adjustment will all raise a bill without anything being wrong. We explained how those work, and why they move independently of your usage, in the piece on the three things that change your tariff.

If you want to check the bill itself first, every distribution company publishes bills online against the reference number, and we walked through each portal in the guide to checking your electricity bill online.

If NEPRA does not resolve it

NEPRA is the sector regulator, but it is not the only route. A DISCO is a federal entity, which means the Wafaqi Mohtasib can also take a complaint about how it treated you, free of charge and with a 60 day statutory limit. That is set out in our guide to complaining to the Wafaqi Mohtasib.

Running both is not wasteful. They look at different things: NEPRA at whether the billing was correct under the rules, the Mohtasib at whether the department handled you properly.

Questions readers are asking

How do I complain about a wrong electricity bill in Pakistan?

Start with your DISCO's complaint cell, commonly on 118, and get a tracking number. If it is not resolved, escalate to NEPRA through its complaint management system, the Asaan Approach app, or a consumer facilitation office.

Can I go straight to NEPRA?

You can file, but your complaint is far stronger with a DISCO tracking number showing you tried first. NEPRA is described as the regulator of last resort in the escalation chain.

Does it cost anything?

No. Complaining to your DISCO, the Citizen's Portal and NEPRA is free.

What evidence should I attach?

Your DISCO tracking number and copies of the disputed bills. Complaints with evidence are processed faster. A dated photograph of the meter is worth including.

My bill rose but my usage did not. Is that an error?

Not necessarily. Check the adjustment lines first. Tariff and fuel adjustments raise bills without your units changing, and those are not billing errors.

What is a detection bill?

A bill issued for alleged theft or meter tampering, often covering several months at once. These are among the most commonly disputed, and they are exactly what the complaint system exists for.