ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s power regulator has proposed sweeping changes to electricity connection and billing rules, including new grid sharing charges on large buildings, multiple industrial connections of up to 15 megawatts, and detection bills covering as long as 12 months.
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority issued a public notice on Sept. 25, 2026, seeking comments on amendments to the Consumer Service Manual.
Under the proposal, any building requiring a dedicated transformer exceeding 500 kilovolt-amperes would be liable for grid sharing charges. Current rules exempt buildings of ground plus three storeys from being treated as multi-storey for grid-sharing purposes.
NEPRA also proposed allowing distribution companies, known as DISCOs, to provide multiple industrial connections to new consumers or let existing industrial consumers increase their load through up to three feeders, capped at 15 MW at the same premises under a single tariff category such as B-3. The arrangements would be subject to technical feasibility and grid station capacity.
Consumers with loads exceeding 5 MW would bear the full cost of grid sharing charges, including transmission line charges, plus land costs proportionate to the additional load. Proposed rates are 8.948 million rupees per MW for grid sharing and transmission line charges and 0.855 million rupees per MW for land.
Loads above 15 MW would require a dedicated grid station and transmission line. Consumers who later exceed 15 MW and receive a dedicated grid station connection would be refunded previously paid grid sharing, transmission line and land charges. NEPRA proposed extending the same framework to commercial and bulk supply connections.
For steel furnace consumers, the amendments would set new connection requirements. Loads up to 1 MW would require dedicated transformers, an 11 kV distribution feeder and rehabilitation charges. Loads above 1 MW and up to 2.5 MW would require dedicated transformers and either a dedicated 11 kV feeder or actual-cost rehabilitation charges. Loads above 2.5 MW and up to 5 MW would require dedicated transformers and dedicated 11 kV feeders.
The proposal would also change temporary disconnection rules. Consumers would need to apply for reconnection before the permitted disconnection period expires. If they fail to do so, the connection would be deemed reconnected once the period ends, with charges payable thereafter. Multiple temporary disconnections would remain allowed, but consumers would have to pay fixed charges for at least one month before seeking another.
On detection bills, DISCOs could charge up to 12 months for registered consumers in cases involving bogus meters, freezing or software manipulation of a meter’s load profile, reversal of readings through Bluetooth devices or a security breach. Such bills would be calculated on load rather than past or future consumption. The detection period would remain six months for domestic consumers, while other categories could face up to 12 months depending on the extent of alleged theft and available evidence.
The proposal would replace existing rules generally limiting detection bills for general supply consumers to three billing cycles, with extensions up to six months subject to approvals.
NEPRA also proposed removing the provision setting a maximum margin for public electric vehicle charging stations from the manual.
The changes remain proposals and their final form will depend on NEPRA’s regulatory process and comments received after the public notice.
