Detection bill rules: Leghari bans manual detection bills, caps charges at 3 to 12 months
Every detection bill must now go through the PITC online portal, and SDOs who write one by hand face major penalties. Proposed limits would cap average billing at two months.
Detection bills can no longer be written by hand. Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari has ordered every electricity distribution company (DISCO), from LESCO and IESCO to MEPCO, PESCO and HESCO, to issue detection bills only through the central online portal of the Pakistan Information Technology Company (PITC), Business Recorder reported on Saturday, 24 October 2026.
Field staff and sub-divisional officers (SDOs) may no longer raise a detection bill on their own. A manual detection bill will now be treated as serious misconduct, open to disciplinary action and major penalties.
Why this matters for your electricity bill
A detection bill is the extra charge a DISCO adds when it says you used more power than your meter recorded, usually for theft, a tampered meter or a faulty one. The minister took "serious notice" of excessive and allegedly incorrect detection bills before meeting the DISCO boards, according to the official announcement the report quotes.
The new limits the Power Division will propose
The Power Division will propose amendments to the Consumer Service Manual "in the coming days". As reported, they would:
| Situation | Proposed limit |
|---|---|
| Defective or burnt meter | replaced at once, or within two billing cycles at most |
| Average billing while a meter is replaced | two months at most |
| Slow or fast meter adjustment (charge or credit) | the previous two billing cycles only |
| Detection period, ordinary consumer found using power without authorisation | three billing cycles |
| Detection period, registered consumer | six months |
| Detection period, unregistered (illegal) connection | 12 months |
DISCO boards and their customer service committees must also review detection bills every month for accuracy and legitimate recovery.
These limits are proposals until the manual is amended; no effective date has been announced. The ban on manual detection bills was ordered at the meeting.
What to do if you get a detection bill
- Check the bill. A detection charge appears as a separate line. Ask the SDO's office for the detection proforma showing the units and period charged.
- Ask whether it was entered on the PITC portal. Under the minister's order, a detection bill not issued through the portal should not exist.
- Do not ignore the due date. Disconnection can follow non-payment. You can complain to your DISCO's customer service centre and, if that fails, to NEPRA's consumer complaint system.
- Check your normal usage with our electricity bill calculator and units calculator, so you know what a fair bill for your home looks like.
The minister said preventing electricity theft remains a national priority, but innocent consumers must not be loaded with arbitrary charges.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a detection bill?
- An extra charge a power distribution company adds when it says you used more electricity than your meter recorded, for example through theft or a faulty meter.
- Can an SDO issue a detection bill manually?
- No. Under the Power Minister's order, reported on 24 October 2026, detection bills may be issued only through the PITC online portal; a manual detection bill is treated as serious misconduct.
Sources
- Leghari orders action against arbitrary detection-billing: Business Recorder
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