NEPRA Approves Rs 1.1086 a Unit Fuel Charge for October Electricity Bills

NEPRA has approved a fuel charge of Rs 1.1086 a unit on October electricity bills in Pakistan. The power companies had asked for Rs 1.7267. The regulator signed its decision on 7 October 2026, after a hearing on 29 September.

We downloaded the decision from nepra.org.pk and read it. The figures below come from that document. The charge covers fuel costs for August 2026, and it is worked out on the units you used in August.

NEPRA approved Rs 1.1086 a unit, not the Rs 1.7267 requested

The fuel charge adjustment for August 2026 is Rs 1.1086 a unit. The agency that buys power for the distribution companies asked for Rs 1.7267. NEPRA allowed about 62 paisa a unit less than the request, which is roughly 36 per cent lower.

Here is how the two sets of numbers compare. All of them are in NEPRA's decision.

The reference cost is the fuel price already built into your tariff. The adjustment is the gap between that guess and what fuel really cost. A lower actual cost means a smaller gap and a smaller charge.

The charge is lower than the July fuel charge on September bills

September bills carry a fuel charge of Rs 2.0581 a unit for July. The October charge of Rs 1.1086 is Rs 0.9495 a unit lower. For most homes, the fuel line should shrink, though other items on the bill can still move it.

That matters because many readers expected a second large hit. We explained the September increase in the Rs 2.58 a unit rise on September bills, and the October request in a piece on the Rs 1.73 a unit fuel charge that was proposed. The decision now settles the request.

One caution. The quarterly adjustment of about Rs 0.52 a unit, which our September article set out, still runs through November bills. If it applies to you, it sits on top of the fuel charge. The fuel charge itself is Rs 1.1086, and nothing else.

What 100, 200, 300 and 500 units add to your bill

Multiply the units you used in August by Rs 1.1086. A home that used 300 units in August pays about Rs 332.58 for this line. At the requested rate, the same home would have paid about Rs 518.01.

These are our own sums, not figures printed on any bill. Taxes and duties that your company adds on top are not included. Your real line can differ a little, so read your own bill before you decide what you owe.

Who pays it and who does not

The charge applies to all consumer categories of the distribution companies and K-Electric. Three groups are left out: lifeline consumers, electric vehicle charging stations, and prepaid consumers who chose the prepaid tariff. The decision also says it applies to units under the Incremental Consumption Package.

K-Electric customers in Karachi pay the same Rs 1.1086, because the government's policy guidelines call for one uniform rate. The decision says the rate applies to K-Electric consumers over the same period.

If you are on a protected tariff, the charge still shows up as a separate line. Our piece on the six month rule for protected 200 unit homes explains why crossing 200 units matters more than any single adjustment.

When it appears on your bill

Companies must show the charge in the billing month of October 2026, as a separate line, based on units billed in August. Bills printed before the decision was notified may carry it a month later.

The notification is S.R.O. 1754(I)/2026, dated 7 October 2026. That last rule explains a common worry. If your October bill was printed early and has no fuel line, the charge may arrive on your November bill instead. Keep both bills.

1. Find your August units on your October bill or on last month's bill.
2. Multiply them by 1.1086.
3. Look for the fuel charges adjustment line on the bill and compare.
4. If the line is far higher, ask your company for the working in writing.
5. If the reply does not fix it, complain to NEPRA with your bill and the reply.

Our guide to every line on a Pakistani electricity bill shows where the fuel line sits. If the company will not correct a wrong charge, how to complain about a wrong electricity bill sets out the route.

What NEPRA changed in the working

NEPRA did not simply cut the number. The decision runs to several pages and explains the adjustments it made to the agency's claim. We have not broken down how much each one moved the final figure, so we do not give a per-item saving.

Two points are stated plainly in the text. NEPRA capped the national grid company's transmission losses at the allowed 2.50 per cent when working out the charge. It also allowed a Rs 528 million claim for power bought from Iran on a provisional basis, until a review of the agency's reconciliation is done.

The regulator also directed the agency to settle the charge between distribution companies, so that one uniform rate can be charged to all consumers. That is why a home in Lahore and a home in Multan see the same rate.

Common questions

How much is the fuel charge on October electricity bills?

It is Rs 1.1086 a unit, for August 2026 fuel costs. NEPRA approved it on 7 October 2026, down from the Rs 1.7267 requested.

Does the charge apply to K-Electric customers?

Yes. The decision says the same charge applies to K-Electric consumers, over the same period as the other distribution companies.

Who is exempt from the charge?

Lifeline consumers, electric vehicle charging stations and prepaid consumers on the prepaid tariff are exempt. Everyone else pays it.

Is it charged on my October units?

No. It is charged on the units billed in August 2026, but it shows up on the October bill.

What if my October bill has no fuel line?

The decision says bills issued before the notification can carry the charge in the next month. Check your November bill before you raise a complaint.

Can I challenge the charge?

You can query the working with your company first. If it does not fix a wrong amount, you can complain to NEPRA with your bill and the reply.

How we verified this

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

Last checked 8 October 2026. We opened the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority's decision on the fuel charges adjustment for August 2026 for the former WAPDA distribution companies, dated 7 October 2026, on nepra.org.pk and read the order and its notification, S.R.O. 1754(I)/2026. The copy was a scan, so a few lines were hard to read and we left out anything we could not read clearly. The figures for the request, the approved charge, the exemptions and the billing month come from that document. Per unit and bill sums are our own arithmetic. Check your own bill and nepra.org.pk before you rely on any figure here.