Pakistan Electricity Bill Slabs 2026: The 200-Unit Rule

Pakistan’s home electricity tariff has one rule that matters more than all the others: stay at or under 200 units a month. Cross it by a single unit and the whole month is billed at much higher “unprotected” rates, and you stay unprotected for the next six months. On a typical 2 kW home connection, the bill for 200 units is about Rs 3,970. For 201 units it’s about Rs 9,830.

This guide explains the 2026 slab table, the protected and unprotected categories, every other line on the bill, and how to estimate yours. To run your own numbers, use the Pakistan electricity bill calculator.

Who sets the rates

All government distribution companies (LESCO, IESCO, MEPCO, FESCO, GEPCO, PESCO, HESCO, SEPCO, QESCO and TESCO) and K-Electric charge homes the same uniform tariff. NEPRA determines it and the federal government notifies it. The 2026 rates come from S.R.O. 279(I)/2026, dated 12 February 2026. NEPRA now resets base rates once a year from 1 January, while the fuel and quarterly adjustments change more often.

The 2026 residential slab table

For homes with a sanctioned load under 5 kW:

Units in the month	Protected (Rs/unit)	Unprotected (Rs/unit)	Unprotected fixed charge (Rs per kW)
1–100	10.54	22.44	275
101–200	13.01	28.91	300
201–300	—	33.10	350
301–400	—	36.46	400
401–500	—	38.95	500
501–600	—	40.22	675
601–700	—	41.85	675
Above 700	—	47.20	675

Protected consumers pay a fixed charge of Rs 200 per kW up to 100 units and Rs 300 per kW from 101 to 200 units. Lifeline consumers (single-phase, up to 1 kW, never above 100 units) pay Rs 3.95 a unit up to 50 units and Rs 7.74 up to 100 units, with no fixed charge. Source: S.R.O. 279(I)/2026 and the IESCO tariff guide.

Protected vs unprotected: the rule that doubles bills

Protected means your load is under 5 kW and you used 200 units or less in each of the last 6 months. Protected homes get two advantages:

Much lower rates: Rs 10.54 and Rs 13.01 against Rs 22.44 and Rs 28.91.
The slab benefit: your units fill the slabs one by one. 150 units are billed as 100 at Rs 10.54 plus 50 at Rs 13.01.

Unprotected homes get no slab benefit. Every unit is charged at the rate of the slab the total falls in. 350 units cost 350 × Rs 36.46, not a mix of cheaper and dearer units.

If a protected home uses 201 units, the entire month is billed as unprotected, and the home stays unprotected for the next six bills even if usage drops back.

What one unit costs at each edge

Estimated total bills for a 2 kW connection, a filer, with the fuel and quarterly adjustments on October 2026 bills and 18% sales tax:

Units	Billed as	Estimated bill	Per unit
100	Protected	Rs 1,959	Rs 19.59
150	Protected	Rs 3,084	Rs 20.56
200	Protected	Rs 3,973	Rs 19.86
201	Unprotected	Rs 9,829	Rs 48.90
200	Unprotected	Rs 8,677	Rs 43.39
300	Unprotected	Rs 14,263	Rs 47.54
301	Unprotected	Rs 15,619	Rs 51.89
500	Unprotected	Rs 27,027	Rs 54.05
700	Unprotected	Rs 40,174	Rs 57.39
701	Unprotected	Rs 44,654	Rs 63.70

Three jumps stand out:

200 → 201 units: about Rs 5,860 more for one unit, plus six months at unprotected rates.
300 → 301 units: about Rs 1,360 more, because every unit moves from Rs 33.10 to Rs 36.46 and the fixed charge rises by Rs 50 per kW.
700 → 701 units: about Rs 4,480 more, because every unit moves to Rs 47.20.

These are estimates from the same formulas our calculator uses. Your bill can differ because of arrears, instalments, and the number of days between meter readings.

Every line on the bill, explained

Line	What it is	2026 figure
Cost of electricity / variable charges	Units × slab rate	See table above
Fixed charges	Rs per kW of sanctioned load	Rs 200–675 per kW
FC surcharge	Financing cost surcharge for power-sector debt	Rs 3.23 a unit for unprotected
FCA (fuel charges adjustment)	Fuel cost difference from two months earlier	+Rs 1.1086 a unit on October 2026 bills
QTA (quarterly tariff adjustment)	Quarterly correction of other costs	+Rs 0.5194 a unit, September to November 2026
GST	Sales tax on the electricity cost	18%
Income tax (section 235)	Advance tax for people not on the Active Taxpayers’ List	7.5% when the bill is Rs 25,000 or more

The FCA for August 2026 comes from NEPRA’s decision of 7 October 2026 and the QTA from S.R.O. 1501(I)/2026. Both change, so read the current figures from your own bill. The protected-consumer FC surcharge is lower; we could not confirm the exact current figure on an official page.

Electricity duty and the PTV fee were removed from bills from July 2025. If your bill still shows them, ask your DISCO.

The non-filer cost

A home that uses 500 units on a 2 kW connection pays about Rs 27,030 as a filer. A non-filer pays about Rs 2,030 more, because the bill crosses Rs 25,000 and the 7.5% section 235 tax applies (FBR withholding tax card). Filers on the Active Taxpayers’ List don’t pay it at all on home bills. If you’re salaried and not filing, the Pakistan salary tax calculator shows what you’d owe.

How to check where you stand

Find the units history. The back or bottom of your bill lists units for the last 12 months. If any of the last six is above 200, you’re unprotected.
Read your meter mid-month. Note the reading a week after the bill’s reading date, and again two weeks later. The difference, times the days left, tells you where you’ll land.
Find your sanctioned load. It’s printed on the bill as “Load” or “Sanctioned Load” in kW. Fixed charges are multiplied by it.

Practical ways to stay under the line

Know your big users. A 1.5-ton inverter AC can use roughly 1 to 1.5 units an hour when cooling hard; 6 hours a day for a month is 180 to 270 units on its own. An iron, a water pump and an electric geyser are the other heavy users.
Spread usage near the reading date. If you’re at 185 units with three days to go, a day without the AC can keep you protected for another six months.
Check the reading date. It’s on the bill. Billing periods vary by a few days, and a 33-day period carries more units than a 28-day one.
Reduce your sanctioned load if it’s far more than you use. Fixed charges are per kW every month.
Check the meter is yours. In shared buildings, wiring mix-ups do happen. Switch everything off and see whether the meter still moves.

When bills change

Base slab rates change once a year from 1 January. FCA changes monthly, QTA quarterly. When a new notification comes out, the table above will be out of date, so check NEPRA or your DISCO’s tariff page. Our calculator lets you type the current FCA and QTA from your own bill.

To work out how much a new tariff raises your bill in percentage terms, use the percentage calculator.

FAQ

What is the per unit price of electricity in Pakistan in 2026?

For protected homes, Rs 10.54 for the first 100 units and Rs 13.01 for the next 100. For unprotected homes, from Rs 22.44 up to Rs 47.20 depending on the slab. After fixed charges, adjustments and 18% GST, most homes pay roughly Rs 20 to Rs 64 per unit in total.

What happens if I use 201 units?

The whole month is billed at unprotected rates, which on a 2 kW connection raises the bill from about Rs 3,970 to about Rs 9,830. You also stay unprotected for the next six months.

How do I become a protected consumer again?

Use 200 units or less in each month for six consecutive months, with a sanctioned load under 5 kW. Your DISCO then bills you at protected rates again.

Does K-Electric use the same slabs?

Yes. Under the uniform tariff, K-Electric’s residential base rates match those of the government DISCOs. Fuel adjustments for K-Electric are decided separately and can differ.

Sources

Rates checked on 28 October 2026. Tariffs change; check your DISCO or NEPRA for the latest notification.