How to Read Your MEPCO Bill
A MEPCO bill is your units multiplied by a rate that depends on how many units you used and whether you are a protected consumer, plus any fixed charge, plus adjustments NEPRA sets each month and quarter, plus taxes. This page explains each part and where the numbers come from.
Last verified: 2 October 2026. Rates are the residential rates notified in SRO 1157(I)/2025, which NEPRA kept unchanged for 2026. Independent guide, not affiliated with MEPCO, PITC or NEPRA.
Units and reading dates
Your units are the difference between this month’s and last month’s meter readings, both printed on the bill. Compare the present reading on the bill with what your meter shows today: your meter should show more than the bill, because you have used power since. If the bill’s reading is higher than your meter, see why your bill may be too high.
Your slab and rate
Homes with a sanctioned load under 5 kW pay per unit according to their slab. The rate depends on your units this month and whether you are a lifeline, protected or unprotected consumer.
| Consumer type | Units this month | Rate per unit (Rs) |
|---|---|---|
| Lifeline | up to 50 | 3.95 |
| Lifeline | 51–100 | 7.74 |
| Protected | 1–100 | 10.54 |
| Protected | 101–200 | 13.01 |
| Unprotected | 1–100 | 22.44 |
| Unprotected | 101–200 | 28.91 |
| Unprotected | 201–300 | 33.10 |
| Unprotected | 301–400 | 37.99 |
| Unprotected | 401–500 | 40.20 / 40.22* |
| Unprotected | 501–600 | 41.62 |
| Unprotected | 601–700 | 42.76 |
| Unprotected | above 700 | 47.69 |
* 401–500 units: the scanned NEPRA notification appears to read Rs 40.20, while January 2026 reports in Express Tribune and Pakistan Observer give Rs 40.22. This figure needs verification — check the rate printed on your bill. All other residential rates match across these sources.
Source: SRO 1157(I)/2025, Annex-A, A-1, “GoP applicable variable charges” (MEPCO, effective 1 July 2025).
Protected means a residential consumer, not on time-of-use metering, who has used no more than 200 units a month for each of the past six months (NEPRA determination, 23 September 2021). Go over 200 units in one month and you lose protected status for the next six months, even if your usage drops again.
Lifeline covers residential consumers with a single-phase connection and a sanctioned load up to 1 kW, and residential consumers whose highest monthly use over the last 12 months and the current month is no more than 100 units (same NEPRA determination).
The slab rule that surprises most people
Only protected consumers get the benefit of one previous slab; lifeline and unprotected consumers get no slab benefit (SRO 1157 notes). In practice:
- A protected home using 150 units pays 100 units at Rs 10.54 and 50 units at Rs 13.01 — Rs 1,704.50.
- An unprotected home using 250 units pays all 250 units at Rs 33.10 — Rs 8,275.
That is why crossing a slab boundary by a few units can raise a bill sharply. These worked examples are ours, using the rates above, before fixed charges, adjustments and taxes. Try your own units in the MEPCO bill calculator.
Fixed charges
Unprotected homes above 300 units also pay a fixed monthly charge:
| Units this month | Fixed charge (Rs per month) |
|---|---|
| 301–400 | 200 |
| 401–500 | 400 |
| 501–600 | 600 |
| 601–700 | 800 |
| above 700 | 1,000 |
Homes with a sanctioned load of 5 kW or more are billed on time-of-use rates instead. Where no fixed charge applies, a minimum monthly charge of Rs 75 (single-phase) or Rs 150 (three-phase) applies even if no units are used (SRO 1157 notes). All rate categories are on our MEPCO tariff page.
Adjustments: FCA and QTA
These change every month or quarter, which is why two bills with the same units can differ.
- Fuel charges adjustment (FCA) — the difference between the fuel cost NEPRA assumed and the actual cost for a month, charged per unit about two months later. For example, the FCA for July 2026 was +Rs 2.0581 per unit, charged in September 2026 bills; lifeline, EV charging stations and prepaid consumers were excluded.
- Quarterly tariff adjustment (QTA) — corrects other power costs for a whole quarter and is spread over three months of bills. For example, the January–March 2026 adjustment was −Rs 1.9857 per unit in June–August 2026 bills; lifeline, incremental-package and prepaid consumers were excluded.
Each recent decision, with the bills it affects and its source, is listed in our MEPCO bill adjustments log.
Taxes and charges no longer on bills
Government taxes, including general sales tax, are added on top of the electricity charges. We do not list tax rates here because we have not yet verified the current rates from an official source; your bill shows the exact amounts.
The Rs 35 PTV fee was removed from electricity bills from 1 July 2025 by a Power Division notification (report). If it still appears on your bill, raise it with MEPCO.
Notes and codes worth knowing
- “est def” near the units — MEPCO says this marks a bill estimated because the meter is defective, based on the same month last year, until the meter is replaced. If it continues for more than two to three months, contact your sub-division (MEPCO FAQs). See MEPCO meter problems.
- Arrears — unpaid amounts from earlier bills. If you have already paid them, take your bank receipt to the MEPCO customer service centre (MEPCO FAQs).