How to Report a Burnt Transformer or Blown Fuse to Your Electricity Company in Pakistan
When a transformer burns or a fuse blows, NEPRA's manual sets what your DISCO must do first. See the priority order, the 24 hour office and what to say.
If your whole street loses power because a transformer burns or a fuse blows, call your distribution company's 24 hour complaint office and report it as a collective complaint. NEPRA's Consumer Service Manual puts leakage of current first, then collective complaints, then single homes, and says a damaged transformer must be bypassed with a trolley mounted or alternate transformer. You do not have to wait for the repair shop.
Anyone who has sat through a hot night with no supply knows the usual advice: call, wait, call again. The manual gives you more to work with. We read clauses 10.4.1 to 10.4.5 of the revised 2025 Consumer Service Manual on NEPRA's website on 21 October 2026, and the order of work below comes from it.
Supply failure complaints are grouped into 13 types
Clause 10.4.1 lists the common supply complaints. They include voltage trouble at one house, a fault on the 11 kV feeder, a blown fuse on the 11 kV side of the transformer, a damaged transformer, tripping feeders, tree branches on lines, kite string on wires, and current leakage in poles.
The list also covers loose jumpers and insulators, low voltage, fluctuation from dirty joints, poor quality of supply and any other technical complaint. Name the type when you call. "Transformer burnt on our street" gets a different response from "light not working".
| What you see | Complaint type in clause 10.4.1 |
|---|---|
| Whole street dark after a bang | Damage of distribution transformer, collective |
| Several homes out, no bang | Fuse blown on the 11 kV side, collective |
| Area goes on and off repeatedly | Frequent tripping of 11 kV feeders |
| Branches touching a line | Tree branches with HT or LT lines |
| Kite string tangled on a wire | Entangling of kite string with lines |
| Shock from a pole or structure | Leakage of current |
| Lights dim, fridge struggles | Low voltage at the consumer's premises |
Leakage of current is attended first, before every other complaint
Clause 10.4.2 sets the order. First, leakage of current is dealt with immediately on receipt. Second come collective complaints from many consumers. Third come individual complaints. A pole that gives a shock is therefore the most urgent call of all.
If you feel a tingle from a pole, a stay wire or a metal structure, say "leakage of current" in your first sentence. The guide on sparking poles and fallen wires covers what to report and what to keep away from. Stay clear of the structure until the team arrives.
A damaged transformer must be bypassed, not left dark until repair
Clause 10.4.2(d) says that when a transformer is damaged, supply shall be restored through a trolley mounted or alternate transformer until the damaged one is replaced. Efforts must also be made to restore affected consumers from alternate sources.
Where the company has no repair workshop, or no capacity to repair quickly, clause 10.4.2(e) lets it approve private vendors for repair. Neither clause gives a number of hours. If you need a time standard, the NEPRA service deadlines page covers the performance rules that set restoration limits.
Low voltage and poor supply go to the sub divisional officer
Clause 10.4.2(g) says low voltage complaints at your premises are investigated by the Sub Divisional Officer or Assistant Manager (Operation), who must take steps to improve voltage and so reduce the damage to your appliances. Poor quality of supply gets the same treatment.
Voltage has its own limits, covered in the check of voltage within 5 percent. Note the date and time of each low voltage spell, because the officer will ask for them.
The complaint office must work around the clock, holidays included
Clause 10.4.4 says the company must have independent complaint offices that work 24 hours, even on holidays, supervised by senior officers and the company's complaint cell. Clause 10.4.3 says each shift ends with a written abstract of complaints received, attended and still pending, with reasons.
That abstract is the manual's own record of who was told what. Special arrangements must also be made for ladies, senior citizens and disabled consumers, under clause 10.4.5. Follow these steps when you call.
- Call the company's helpline or complaint office and give your reference number.
- State the type: transformer, fuse, feeder, leakage or low voltage.
- Say how many homes are affected, so it counts as a collective complaint.
- Ask for the complaint number and the name of the person who took it.
- If nothing happens, escalate using the steps in the NEPRA electricity complaint process.
Trees and kite string are the company's job to prevent
Clause 10.4.2(f) says tree trimming and other preventive work must follow a well advertised programme, to avoid needless tripping and damage. Kite string on wires is a listed complaint type. Report it and leave it alone.
Common questions
Which complaint is attended first?
Leakage of current, immediately on receipt, under clause 10.4.2(a). Collective complaints come second and individual ones third.
Who must restore supply when a transformer burns?
Your distribution company, through a trolley mounted or alternate transformer until the damaged one is replaced.
Can the company use private repair shops?
Yes, where it has no workshop or repair capacity, clause 10.4.2(e) lets it approve private vendors.
Is the complaint office open on holidays?
Yes. Clause 10.4.4 says complaint offices work 24 hours, including holidays.
Who handles low voltage complaints?
The Sub Divisional Officer or Assistant Manager (Operation), who must investigate and improve the voltage.
How long does the company have to restore supply?
The manual gives no hours. Time standards sit in NEPRA's performance rules, which we did not re-read for this page.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 21 October 2026. We read clauses 10.4.1 to 10.4.5 of the NEPRA Consumer Service Manual, revised 2025. The table matching what you see to a complaint type is our own plain language mapping of the manual's list. We did not call any helpline or test how fast a company responds. We did not verify whether K-Electric follows the same clauses.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
