Energy Minister Awais Leghari orders centralised online billing, tighter recovery limits and monthly reviews to prevent electricity distribution companies from overcharging consumers.
ISLAMABAD, October 23, 2026: Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division) Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari has ordered strict action against electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) issuing excessive and unjustified detection bills, warning that consumers will no longer be subjected to arbitrary charges.
Chairing a meeting with the boards of directors of DISCOs, the minister directed the implementation of a comprehensive reform framework to protect consumers while maintaining efforts to curb electricity theft.
Under the new directives, all detection bills must be issued exclusively through the centralised online portal developed by the Power Information Technology Company (PITC). Manual detection bills issued at the discretion of field staff or sub-divisional officers (SDOs) have been prohibited. Officials responsible for issuing such bills will face disciplinary proceedings and major penalties.
The Power Division will also submit proposed amendments to the Consumer Service Manual (CSM) to establish clear timelines and strengthen accountability.
Under the proposed framework, defective or burnt electricity meters must be replaced immediately or within a maximum of two billing cycles. Average billing during this period will be limited to two months.
Where meters are found to be running fast or slow, recovery or credit adjustments will be restricted to the preceding two billing cycles.
The proposed rules will also limit detection billing for illegal electricity abstraction. For general consumers, the chargeable period is proposed to be restricted to three billing cycles, while the maximum detection period will be capped at six months for registered consumers and 12 months for unregistered consumers.
Additionally, DISCO boards of directors and their customer services committees have been directed to conduct detailed monthly reviews of detection bills to verify their accuracy, transparency and legitimacy.
Leghari said tackling electricity theft remained a national priority but stressed that innocent consumers must not be penalised through arbitrary billing practices.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to establishing a consumer-focused power sector with effective oversight and accountability, ensuring that distribution company officials comply with the law and applicable regulations.
The reforms aim to restrict discretionary billing powers, improve complaint handling and prevent unjustified financial burdens on electricity consumers.