How to Get a Temporary Electricity Connection in Pakistan
Get a temporary electricity connection in Pakistan for a wedding, event or building work: the documents, the deposit, and the two week and six month limits.
A temporary electricity connection in Pakistan is applied for on the normal new connection form, with your CNIC and the deposit for the power you expect to use. NEPRA's manual allows up to two weeks for a wedding or event, and six months for building work, extendable three months at a time.
The same rules bind K-Electric in Karachi and the state companies such as HESCO, SEPCO, PESCO and QESCO, because they come from the NEPRA Consumer Service Manual. That manual is the rulebook every distribution company has to follow for connections, deposits and billing.
We read the revised manual, as published by K-Electric on its website, on 3 October 2026, along with K-Electric's own application form. We also opened the Electricity New Connection portal at enc.com.pk. We did not apply for a temporary connection ourselves.
Who can get a temporary connection
The manual lists five uses: building a house, building a plaza, lighting for weddings and events, testing industrial machines, and any other short, urgent need. Political gatherings are allowed too, but only with an NOC from the Deputy Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner.
The group you fall in decides how long you get and what you attach.
| Point | Weddings, events, testing | Construction |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum period | Two weeks | Six months at first |
| Extension | Not described in the manual | Three months at a time, until the work ends |
| Main documents | CNIC copy and payment | Ownership proof, CNIC copies of you and a witness |
| Extra condition | DC or AC NOC for a political gathering | Plazas and schemes show their plan approval is in process |
| Security deposit | Cost of the expected units | Cost of the expected units |
There is no minimum period. A connection for a single evening is allowed under the same rules as one for a fortnight.
Documents for a temporary connection
For an event, the manual asks only for a copy of your CNIC and the payment. For building work, you need ownership proof, attested CNIC copies of you and a witness, and the owner's stamp paper if you are not the owner.
That owner's stamp paper is a Rs 50 non-judicial stamp paper. On it, the owner says he has authorised you to apply and will pay any dues on the premises. A contractor building somebody else's house needs this.
Housing schemes, plazas, multi-storey buildings and industries must also show that their layout plan or NOC is being processed by the civic agency. The manual says plainly that an individual house does not need this.
In Karachi, K-Electric's form has its own "Temporary Connection" box under the type of service. The same checklist then applies, including the CNIC and ownership papers, and K-Electric asks for affidavits on Rs 200 stamp paper rather than Rs 50.
How to apply for a temporary electricity connection
Fill in the new connection form, tick temporary, attach the papers and submit it to the company's office. The company issues a demand notice for charges and the deposit. Once paid, it connects you in its queue for temporary cases.
- Work out your load in kW. Count lights, fans, coolers, a water pump or the machines on site.
- Get the new connection form from your electricity company. It is free, and K-Electric offers it as a download.
- Tick "Temporary", write the purpose and the dates, and attach the documents above.
- Submit it to the sanctioning office. Pay the demand notice at the bank named on it.
- Keep the receipt and stay reachable. The company connects you in its order of temporary cases.
The office matters. Under the manual, connections up to 15 kW for homes, shops and general services are sanctioned by the SDO. "All other types" up to 15 kW, which covers temporary supply, go to the XEN at the division office. Loads above 15 kW also go to the XEN, and above 70 kW to the circle.
For state companies outside Karachi, new connection applications start on enc.com.pk, which lists HESCO, SEPCO, PESCO, QESCO, TESCO and others. We could not confirm that its online form offers a temporary option, because the form loads only in a full browser. Applying at the division office follows the manual exactly.
What a temporary connection costs
You pay a security deposit equal to the electricity you are expected to use, plus any connection charges. You also pay bills on the actual meter reading. The deposit comes back when the connection is removed, or is adjusted if it becomes permanent.
So there is no fixed fee to quote. A wedding with a few kW of lights for three nights carries a small deposit. A construction site running a pump and a mixer for six months carries a bigger one. The demand notice shows your figure.
If the company has to install material, it keeps it when the connection ends. The manual says the cost of that equipment is paid back to you at depreciated rates. Ask for the deposit refund as soon as the connection is taken down.
A temporary supply up to 20 kW comes from the shared transformer in your area if it has room. If not, a dedicated transformer is needed, and that raises the bill sharply.
Extending or ending the connection
Apply for an extension at least one week before your period ends. The company can cut it without notice if it is no longer temporary or is misused. Once the house is finished, you can turn it into a permanent connection.
That last option saves money. If you apply for a regular connection at the same premises, the manual says the existing material and meter are reused and only the tariff is changed, after the normal new connection steps. In Karachi, that means the K-Electric new connection form, this time with the house papers.
The manual also carries a safety line that event organisers should take seriously. It names weddings, temporary functions and construction sites as places needing proper wiring and protective devices, especially an RCD, a switch that cuts power when current leaks to earth.
Taking power from a pole with a hook for a wedding is not a shortcut. It is theft, and neighbours do report electricity theft. A two week legal connection is cheaper than a detection bill.
Common questions
How long can a temporary electricity connection last?
Up to two weeks for weddings, events and machine testing. For construction, six months at first, then extensions of three months each until the work is finished.
Do I need a separate form for a temporary connection?
No. The manual says you apply on the same form used for a new connection, ticking the temporary option.
Is the security deposit for a temporary connection refundable?
Yes. It is refunded when the connection is removed, or adjusted if the connection is turned into a permanent one.
Can a tenant or contractor apply for a temporary connection?
Yes. For construction, the owner signs a Rs 50 stamp paper authorising you and accepting responsibility for dues on the premises.
Can I get a temporary connection for a political rally?
Only with an NOC from the Deputy Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner, which the manual makes mandatory for any political gathering.
How fast will the company connect me?
The manual gives no short deadline for event connections, so apply early. When we read NEPRA's performance standards, a connection needing network work up to 15 kW had a 30 day limit, which the NEPRA service deadlines set out.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 3 October 2026. The five uses, the two week limit, the six month construction period with three month extensions, the documents, the Rs 50 owner stamp paper, the DC or AC NOC for political gatherings, the deposit based on expected use, the refund and conversion rules, the one week extension notice, disconnection for misuse, the 20 kW shared transformer rule, the sanctioning officers and the RCD safety line are read in the NEPRA Consumer Service Manual (revised), chapters 2, 3 and 12, as published by K-Electric on its website. The Temporary Connection box and the Rs 200 affidavit are read on K-Electric's application form, updated September 2026. We opened enc.com.pk on 3 October 2026 and saw its list of companies. We did not apply for a connection.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
