Get a Separate Electricity Meter for Your Portion of the House in Pakistan

You can get a second electricity meter for a separate portion of the same house in Pakistan. NEPRA's Consumer Service Manual allows it when the portion has its own circuits, its own kitchen, its own entrance, and a separate family living in it, confirmed on a Rs 50 stamp paper affidavit.

This matters most in joint family homes, where one meter means one bill and one set of slabs for two families. Below are the five conditions, the papers, the deposit and the 30 day clock, all from the manual your electricity company must follow.

NEPRA allows more than one meter in the same house if five conditions are met

Clause 2.8.2 of the Consumer Service Manual (CSM) says a distribution company "shall allow" more than one residential connection at the same premises if the house has separate portions, separate circuits, separate kitchens, a separate entrance and a Rs 50 affidavit.

The CSM is the rulebook NEPRA, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, sets for LESCO, IESCO, MEPCO and every other distribution company. We read the revised 2025 edition. "Shall" means the company cannot refuse at will once you meet the conditions.

The five conditions are:

1. Separate portions. The house is physically divided, for example a ground floor and a first floor.
2. Separate electric circuits. Each portion has its own wiring, so the new meter feeds only that portion.
3. Separate kitchens. Each portion has its own kitchen.
4. Separate entrance or access. Each portion can be reached on its own, such as an outside staircase.
5. An affidavit on Rs 50 non-judicial stamp paper saying a separate family lives in the separate portion.

A portion on a 5 kW Time of Use meter only needs separate wiring

If you ask for the second connection on the Time of Use tariff, which applies at 5 kW and above, the kitchen, entrance and affidavit conditions fall away. Only separate electric circuits are needed, but you then cannot ask to reduce that load later.

A Time of Use (ToU) meter charges a higher rate in the evening peak hours and a lower rate at other times. Clause 2.8.2(b) says the five conditions "are not applicable" when the separate portion takes a ToU connection of 5 kW or more, as long as separate circuits exist.

The catch is written into the same clause. No request to reduce the load will be accepted, so the connection stays on the ToU tariff. That suits a portion with an air conditioner or two. It does not suit a single room with a fan and a few lights.

Both meters come from the same transformer

The company must feed both connections from the same transformer or feeder. NEPRA's reason is to stop "dual supply" at one premises, meaning a house that can switch between two sources when one is off.

So a second meter is no backup line. During a fault or load shedding, both portions go dark together.

The application uses the normal new connection papers

You apply for the second meter as a new connection, in person at your subdivision office or online on your company's website. The CSM lists the papers in clause 2.3, and they are the same for any new connection.

The second meter can be in the name of the family member who lives in that portion. If that person is not the owner, the owner gives the no objection certificate and an undertaking on stamp paper to pay any default by the occupant. The rules for that are set out in who pays when a tenant leaves electricity dues unpaid.

The wider document list, including the civic map rules, is in the papers and demand notice rules for a new electricity connection.

A city home pays Rs 1,220 a kilowatt as security deposit

Annexure IV of the CSM sets the residential security deposit at Rs 1,220 for each kilowatt of sanctioned load in urban areas and Rs 610 in rural areas. A 2 kW portion in a city therefore needs a Rs 2,440 deposit, on top of the connection charges in the demand notice.

The deposit comes back when the connection is permanently disconnected, so keep the receipt. The steps are in getting an electricity security deposit back.

You get 30 days to pay the demand notice. If you need more time, ask in writing at least three days before it expires, and the company may allow a further 30 days. The CSM also says no escalation charges apply to residential connections up to 20 kW, so the price on the demand notice should not rise while you wait.

The company has 30 days to fit the meter

Annexure III of the CSM gives 30 days in total for a connection up to 15 kW, split into four stages from registration to meter installation. Most second meters for a house portion fall in this band.

1. Registration, wiring test report and site survey: 4 days.
2. Cost estimate and demand notice: 6 days.
3. Work order and material issue: 11 days.
4. Meter installation: 9 days.

If the company misses its deadline, NEPRA's newer performance rules set compensation for late connections. Those are listed with the other NEPRA service deadlines for 2026. Complain first to the subdivision, then to NEPRA if nothing moves.

Two meters mean two separate bills and two sets of slabs

Each connection is billed on its own units. Two families who shared 350 units on one meter could each use about 175 units on their own meters, and each bill is worked out separately.

That is why people ask for a second meter, and it is legal when the house really is divided. Splitting one household's wiring across two meters just to stay in a lower slab does not meet clause 2.8.2. The affidavit you sign says a separate family lives in that portion, so a false one is a false statement on stamp paper. How the 200 unit protected slab works is explained in the six month rule for protected electricity consumers.

Our honest view: if your portions already have separate kitchens and stairs, the second meter usually pays back its deposit within a few months. If they do not, rewiring and building a kitchen just for the meter rarely makes sense.

Common questions

Can I get two electricity meters in one house in Pakistan?

Yes. NEPRA's Consumer Service Manual allows more than one residential connection if the house has separate portions, circuits, kitchens and entrances, with a Rs 50 affidavit that a separate family lives there.

Does the second meter need to be in a different name?

The rule does not say so. In practice it is usually in the name of the family member who lives in that portion, with the owner's consent if that person is not the owner.

Is a separate kitchen really required?

Yes, for a normal second meter. The only exception is a Time of Use connection of 5 kW or more, which needs separate circuits only.

How long does a second meter take?

Up to 30 days for a load of 15 kW or less under Annexure III of the manual, after you apply with complete papers.

What deposit do I pay for a second meter?

Rs 1,220 for each kilowatt in a city and Rs 610 a kilowatt in a rural area, plus the connection charges on the demand notice.

How we verified this

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

Last checked on 9 October 2026. The five conditions, the Time of Use exception and the same transformer rule are from clause 2.8.2 of NEPRA's Consumer Service Manual, revised 2025. The papers are from clauses 2.2 and 2.3, the 30 day demand notice period and the escalation rule from clause 2.4, the 30 day installation timeline from Annexure III, and the security deposit rates from Annexure IV of the same manual. The 175 unit split is our own example, not a figure from NEPRA.