Report a Dead Streetlight to Your Electricity Company in Pakistan: 8 Hours in Cities
NEPRA's 2026 rules give electricity companies 8 hours to fix a dead streetlight in a city. See who owns the light, how to report it and where to escalate.
Short answer: Report a dead streetlight to your electricity company's complaint centre or app and keep the complaint number. NEPRA's 2026 rules give the company 8 hours in a city and, as we read the schedule, 14 hours in a village. At least 90 per cent of such complaints must be solved in time.
A dark street is more than an inconvenience. It means unsafe walks, snatching and accidents. And often nobody knows whose job the light is.
We downloaded and read the Performance Standards (Distribution) Regulations 2026 from nepra.org.pk on 14 October 2026. They were notified as SRO 1430(I)/2026 on 25 August 2026. The timing table in the scanned file is broken across pages, so we could not confirm the village figure with full certainty.
The company has 8 hours in a city
Schedule I of the regulations lists streetlights as a complaint category with a repair time of 8 hours for urban consumers. The village time appears to be 14 hours. The standard is met when at least 90 per cent of complaints are solved in that time.
| Item | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| City streetlight | Solve within 8 hours |
| Village streetlight | 14 hours, as we read the schedule |
| Success target | At least 90 per cent of complaints in time |
| Compensation | Not applicable for streetlights |
The clock is short compared to other faults. The same rules give a blown fuse 4 hours in a city, as the report on new NEPRA deadlines for every electricity company shows.
The rule applies only where the company owns the light
The regulation says the company must attend to streetlight complaints "to the extent that the matter falls within its jurisdiction". In many places, a municipal body or a development authority owns the lights and pays the bill. Your company will then pass the case on or say it is not theirs.
So the first question is who owns the pole. If the pole carries electricity company wires, start with the company. If it is a city-owned light, call your local council or authority and tell the electricity company if the supply itself is off.
How to report the fault so it counts
Use the company app, helpline or complaint centre. Give the nearest pole number, a landmark, and your phone number. Ask for a complaint number, and note the time you called. A recorded time is the only way to show the 8 hours passed.
- Note the pole number, street, area and time you saw the light was off.
- Lodge a complaint with your company by app, helpline or sub-divisional complaint centre. See how to use the NEPRA Asaan Approach app for an urgent electricity complaint.
- Write down the complaint number and the time.
- If the light is still off after 8 hours, call again, quote the number and ask for the reason in writing.
- If nobody acts, escalate to NEPRA.
For a loose wire or a pole that sparks, do not wait for the 8 hours. That is a danger. Follow how to report a sparking pole or fallen wire.
Written reasons for each day of delay
If the company misses the time, you can ask in writing for the reasons for each day of delay. The delay does not release it from fixing the light as soon as possible. There is no money penalty for streetlights, but the delay goes into its quarterly reports to NEPRA.
The rules also say a complaint that is not named in the schedule gets the same time and compensation as a streetlight complaint. So the streetlight clock is the default for any other complaint too.
When to take it to NEPRA
Go to NEPRA after the company's complaint centre has given you a number and the time limit has passed. Attach your log of times and numbers. The rules say unresolved complaints go to the Authority. Our guide on how to file a NEPRA electricity complaint has the steps.
Get neighbours to report too
One complaint is easy to lose. Five complaints about the same pole, each with its own number, are harder to ignore. Ask a neighbour or the local mosque committee to report the same light, and note each number.
If the light has been dead for weeks, mention that in your complaint. A long outage is more than a missed 8 hour target, and it shows the office needs a visit.
Common questions
How fast must a streetlight be repaired?
The 2026 NEPRA schedule gives 8 hours in a city. We read 14 hours for villages, but that figure sits in a broken table.
Is the electricity company always responsible for streetlights?
No. The duty applies only where the matter falls within the company's jurisdiction. Some lights belong to local councils.
Can I get money if the light stays off?
No. The schedule lists compensation as not applicable for streetlight complaints.
What if my complaint is not about a listed fault?
Unlisted complaints get the same time and compensation as streetlight complaints, according to the regulations.
Where do I complain if the company ignores me?
Take it to NEPRA with your complaint number and log. The regulations send unresolved complaints to the Authority.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 14 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read NEPRA's Performance Standards (Distribution) Regulations 2026, Schedule I. We did not test any streetlight complaint, and we could not confirm the 14 hour village figure because the table is split across pages.
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.
