Electricity Tariff Pakistan 2026 — Per Unit Rates All Slabs

Pakistan's electricity tariff is regulated by NEPRA (National Electric Power Regulatory Authority) and applies uniformly across all DISCOs (LESCO, IESCO, FESCO, GEPCO, MEPCO, PESCO, HESCO, SEPCO, QESCO, TESCO) — K-Electric has slightly different rates. The tariff uses a slab-based system: the more units you consume, the higher the per-unit rate. NEPRA revises base tariffs annually, plus quarterly adjustments (QTR) and monthly Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA) that pass through fuel cost changes. This guide breaks down the 2026 tariff structure for domestic, commercial, and industrial consumers, explains every line item on your bill, and shows how to qualify for the discounted Protected Consumer rate.

Domestic Tariff 2026 — Protected vs Unprotected

NEPRA introduced the Protected Consumer category in 2022 to provide relief to low-consumption households. Protected status requires 200 units or less for 6 consecutive months. Once you exceed 200 units in any month, you lose Protected status and pay the regular Unprotected tariff for the next 6 months:

As you can see, the difference is dramatic. A 200-unit Protected bill is ~Rs. 1,800; the same 200 units Unprotected is ~Rs. 4,200 — 2.3x more expensive. Once you cross 200 units and lose Protected status, the rate jumps to Rs. 21.85/unit — almost triple.

Commercial Tariff 2026

Commercial connections (shops, offices, small businesses) have different slabs and higher rates:

Industrial Tariff 2026

Industrial connections (factories, manufacturing units) have separate slabs based on load:

Agriculture (Tube-well) Tariff 2026

Agriculture tube-well connections are subsidized by the government to support farming. Current rates: Rs. 16.50/unit flat for sanctioned loads up to 20 kW. Above 20 kW, commercial industrial rates apply. Some provincial governments (Punjab, Sindh) provide additional subsidies — check with your local agriculture extension office.

Bill Line Items Explained

Your final bill is more than just units × rate. Here's a breakdown of every line item you'll see:

• Current Bill (Base): Units × slab rate. This is the core charge for electricity consumed.
• FPA (Fuel Price Adjustment): Monthly pass-through of fuel cost changes. Set by NEPRA. Adds Rs. 1–8/unit depending on month.
• QTR (Quarterly Tariff Adjustment): NEPRA-approved adjustment every 3 months for capacity payments, transmission losses, etc. Adds Rs. 1–3/unit.
• FC Surcharge (Financing Cost): Debt servicing surcharge for power-sector circular debt loans. Fixed at Rs. 0.43/unit.
• Electricity Duty: Provincial tax on electricity consumption. 1–1.5% of current bill.
• TV Fee: Rs. 35/month mandatory PTV fee. Added to every bill regardless of whether you watch PTV.
• Bank Charges: Rs. 15/month bank processing fee for bill collection.
• Income Tax: 5% withholding tax for consumers above 25,000/month bill. 10% for above 50,000/month.
• GST (General Sales Tax): 17% federal GST on total bill (most consumers exempt).
• Arrears: Unpaid amount from previous months, if any.

Sample Bill Calculation

Here's how a 250-unit Unprotected domestic bill is calculated:

As you can see, the base bill is only Rs. 3,537 but additional charges add Rs. 1,336 — 38% on top. This is why bills feel higher than the per-unit rate suggests.

How to Reduce Your Effective Tariff

• Stay under 200 units/month to qualify for Protected Consumer subsidy — saves 30–60%.
• Install solar net-metering — sells excess solar to grid, reducing net consumption.
• Switch to ToU meter if you can shift usage to off-peak hours (saves 30–50%).
• Use LED bulbs — saves 5–10% on lighting cost.
• Optimize AC usage — 26°C setting saves 25–30% on AC cost.
• Eliminate phantom load — unplug devices when not in use, saves 5–10%.
• Avoid crossing slab boundaries — going from 199 to 201 units doubles the per-unit rate.

Frequently Asked Questions