MEPCO Electricity & Billing Glossary

Unpaid balance or outstanding charges carried forward from previous monthly billing cycles onto your current MEPCO bill. If unpaid by the due date, arrears accumulate Late Payment Surcharge (LPS) and can trigger connection disconnection notices.

The cascading liquidity shortfall across Pakistan's power sector caused by delayed subsidy disbursements, collection shortfalls, power line losses, and unrecovered generation costs. It directly drives periodic upward revisions in fuel price adjustments and quarterly tariff surcharges.

A unique 7-digit numerical identifier assigned to every MEPCO electricity account. Printed on physical bill paper next to the reference box, it is primarily used for online mobile banking, JazzCash, Easypaisa, and 1Link portal payment verifications.

A supplementary penalty invoice issued by MEPCO revenue officers when meter tampering, unauthorized load extension, slowness, or direct wire hook (kundda) theft is detected upon inspection under the Consumer Service Code.

An acronym for Power Distribution Company in Pakistan. MEPCO (Multan Electric Power Company) is the largest DISCO by geographic coverage, distributing power across 13 districts in South Punjab under Ministry of Energy oversight.

A provincial tax levied by the Government of Punjab on electricity consumption. Typically assessed at a nominal percentage rate on the variable energy charges billed to residential and commercial consumers.

A federal surcharge included in power bills across Pakistan to service financial liabilities, power sector debt, and debt obligations of Power Holding Limited (PHL). Billed on per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) electricity consumption.

An electrical supply line originating from a 132kV or 66kV MEPCO grid station that distributes high-voltage power to local distribution transformers in specific urban sub-divisions or rural agricultural sectors.

A variable monthly charge or credit approved by NEPRA to reflect the difference between actual fuel costs incurred in thermal/imported power generation and the reference fuel cost built into baseline tariffs.

A bi-directional electronic electricity meter featuring separate registers for recording energy drawn from the grid (Import) and excess solar energy exported into the MEPCO distribution network (Export).

A renewable energy arrangement where 100% of solar generation is sold directly to the grid at a fixed feed-in tariff, while all property power consumption is purchased back separately from the utility at standard retail tariffs.

Federal sales tax charged under FBR regulations on variable energy charges, fuel adjustments, and surcharges for non-exempt consumer categories on monthly electricity bills.

Kilowatt-Hour. The standard metric unit of electrical energy measurement. Consuming 1,000 watts of electrical power continuously for one hour equals 1 kWh or 1 'Unit' on your MEPCO meter.

An additional fee penalty added to your bill if payment is made after the specified due date. LPS is calculated as a fixed percentage (typically 10%) of energy charges and paid to the utility.

The autonomous federal regulatory body in Pakistan established to grant generation/distribution licenses, determine electricity tariffs, enforce consumer service standards, and protect ratepayer interests.

A billing framework allowing rooftop solar system owners to feed surplus generation back into the MEPCO grid, receiving unit-for-unit or financial credits against grid power drawn during the month.

Residential consumers whose monthly electricity usage exceeds 200 kWh in any single month over a trailing 6-month period. Non-protected status incurs higher per-unit baseline tariffs and higher statutory taxes.

The federal IT organization responsible for maintaining central power sector databases, customer billing web portals, and online duplicate bill generation services for MEPCO and other DISCOs.

A low-consumption residential electricity category defined as consuming ≤200 units every month consistently for 6 consecutive months, qualifying for heavily subsidized lifeline per-unit tariffs.

A fixed monthly statutory charge (currently Rs. 35 for domestic, higher for commercial connections) collected on electricity bills on behalf of Pakistan Television Corporation.

A quarterly tariff correction mechanism approved by NEPRA to account for capacity charges, variable O&M, transmission losses, and exchange rate variations over a three-month operational period.

Official fee billed by MEPCO to restore electrical service after a connection was physically disconnected due to non-payment of arrears or temporary voluntary suspension.

A 14-digit numeric code printed on physical MEPCO bill invoices (e.g. 15 15412 1234500) that identifies the precise sub-division, feeder, batch, and account location for online bill checking.

The maximum connected power capacity in kilowatts (kW) authorized by MEPCO for a specific meter connection. Exceeding your sanctioned load can cause transformer tripping or require an upgraded connection.

The executive officer managing a local MEPCO Sub-Division office. Responsible for customer billing disputes, new meter connection approvals, net metering sign-offs, and local line maintenance.

A refundable monetary deposit collected by MEPCO at the time of new connection installation, based on sanctioned load kW rating, held as collateral against unpaid bills.

A progressive pricing structure where electricity per-unit cost increases incrementally across higher volume brackets (e.g. 1-100 units, 101-200 units, 201-300 units, etc.).

A dual-tariff metering structure for 3-phase / 5kW+ connections charging different per-unit rates during designated high-demand Peak hours versus low-demand Off-Peak hours.

The federal authority originally managing Pakistan's water and power resources. Power distribution was unbundled into independent DISCOs like MEPCO in 1998, while WAPDA retains large hydro dam management.

Senior MEPCO divisional engineering officer overseeing multiple sub-divisions. Handles complex consumer grievances, load extension approvals, and major infrastructure upgrades.