A detection bill is an extra charge for electricity your company says was used but not recorded because of theft or tampering. As reported, the current rules limit it to three billing cycles for A-1, A-2 and A-3 consumers, extendable to six months only with the company Chief Executive's approval. NEPRA proposed changes on 25 September 2026 that are not in force yet, and you can contest a detection bill at the Provincial Office of Inspection (POI) and then at NEPRA.
The current rules on detection bills sit in NEPRA's Consumer Service Manual (CSM), last revised on 26 November 2025. Some details below come from news reports and older copies of the manual, so check the current CSM on nepra.org.pk before you rely on any single step.
What a detection bill is, and what it is not
Three different things can push your bill up, and each has its own rules. Mixing them up is the most common mistake people make when they complain.
| Type of bill | What the company is saying | Maximum period |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary bill that looks wrong | The reading or calculation is wrong | Not a backdated charge; handled as an overbilling complaint |
| Supplementary bill for a slow or defective meter | Your meter under-recorded, with no theft alleged | 2 billing cycles |
| Detection bill for theft or tampering | Electricity was taken illegally | 3 billing cycles for A-1, A-2, A-3 (up to 6 months with CEO approval); 6 billing cycles for other categories |
If your problem is an ordinary bill with a wrong reading, the overbilling complaint guide is the right place to start. This article deals with the second and third rows.
The slow-meter limit matters because companies have broken it. NEPRA turned down the distribution companies' request to extend that two-cycle limit, and in an order dated 10 April 2025 it found that MEPCO had charged 222 consumers bills for meter slowness beyond two billing cycles, some for 8 to 20 months. MEPCO told NEPRA those bills would be revised and the consumers given relief.
How far back a detection bill can go now
As The Nation described the current rule on 26 September 2026:
- A-1, A-2 and A-3 consumers (general supply and general services): three billing cycles. This can be extended to six months only with the Chief Executive's approval.
- Other tariff categories: six billing cycles.
An older copy of the CSM text says the same, and adds that the Chief Executive may hand this approval power to a committee of Chief Engineer or Director level officers. That copy is a mirror, not NEPRA's own document, so treat it as a guide and confirm against the 26 November 2025 manual.
Your tariff category is printed on your bill. If you are not sure which one you are in, see what the tariff code on your bill means.
Detection units are charged at your applicable tariff. There is no separate rupee rate for them. A formula for working out detection units from load appeared in a NEPRA draft in November 2023, but it has not been confirmed that it was adopted in that form, so do not assume any particular formula applies to your bill. Ask the company to show in writing how it calculated the units.
What NEPRA proposed on 25 September 2026
On 25 September 2026, NEPRA posted a public notice seeking comments on proposed amendments to the CSM. Dawn and The Nation reported that one of them, part of what is described as the fifth amendment, would change detection bills for certain kinds of tampering.
The five cases covered
The proposal would let companies charge detection bills to all registered consumers in these cases:
- Bogus meters
- Frozen load profiles
- Meters manipulated through software
- Readings reversed with Bluetooth devices
- Breaches of billing-meter security
What would change
- The bill would be worked out from your load, not from your past or future consumption.
- Non-domestic categories could be charged for up to 12 months, "keeping in view the quantum of theft and availability of evidence", according to The Nation.
- For domestic consumers the period would be limited to six months.
- The Nation says the change falls under Clause 9.2.3(c).
The reports do not make clear whether six months would become the standard period for homes in these cases, or would still need senior approval as it does now. The notice itself should answer that, so read it before you form a view.
Is it in force
No. As of 18 October 2026, this is a proposal. It takes effect only if NEPRA approves it. Any detection bill you receive today should follow the current limits described above.
How a detection bill is supposed to be issued
The copies of the CSM seen describe this sequence. Check each step against the current manual, as the wording may have changed in the November 2025 revision.
- The company inspects and finds suspected illegal abstraction. For industrial consumers (B-2 and above), a representative of the POI or Electric Inspector must be present.
- The company serves you a notice setting out its allegations and findings and asking for a written reply. It must wait seven working days for that reply.
- An officer senior to the one who inspected examines your reply.
- If your reply is not convincing, you do not reply, or the allegation is proved, a detection bill is issued with the approval of the next higher office. The period is limited as above. A disconnection notice giving seven days to pay goes with it.
If the company skipped any of these steps, note it. A missing notice or a bill longer than the permitted period is a point you can raise in your complaint.
K-Electric has its own version of the CSM, and its steps may differ. K-Electric customers should check KE's own manual.
How to contest a detection bill
1. Reply to the notice in writing within seven working days
This is the step people miss. Under the procedure text, no reply lets the bill go ahead. Set out your side clearly: when the meter was installed, whether you have had it checked, and why you dispute the findings. Keep a copy and get proof that the company received it.
2. Ask for the inspection report
Request the inspection report and the basis of the calculation: the period charged, the units, and the load figure used. Compare the period with the limits in this article. The sample bill explained page shows where each figure sits on a normal bill, which helps when you check what was added.
3. Complain to the Provincial Office of Inspection
If the company still issues the bill, take it to the POI or Electric Inspector. The CSM defines the POI as the office a provincial government sets up under Section 38 of the NEPRA Act. Bills must print the addresses of your sub-division, NEPRA's head or regional office, and the Electric Inspector or POI, so the address you need should be on your bill.
Take copies of the notice, your reply, the detection bill, the inspection report if you received it, and several months of past bills. A ready-to-send complaint letter in English or Urdu can be adapted for the cover note.
Whether you must pay the disputed amount before the POI hears your case could not be confirmed, so ask the POI office directly. Filing deadlines could not be confirmed either; act quickly rather than wait.
4. Appeal to NEPRA if needed
If you disagree with the POI's decision, an appeal goes to NEPRA's Appellate Board. In one K-Electric case, the appeal was filed with reference to Section 38(3) of the NEPRA Act. The time limit for this appeal could not be confirmed from a NEPRA source, so check it with NEPRA or the POI as soon as you receive the decision.
What past cases show
The company's decision is not final. NEPRA's Appellate Board records include a MEPCO consumer who was sent a detection bill of Rs 136,889 covering 24 months, July 2014 to June 2016. The consumer took it to the POI, which declared the bill null and void on 26 June 2019.
Larger disputes go the same way. K-Electric charged a flour mill Rs 3,409,022 for 181,528 units over six months, June to November 2020, for 32.87% meter slowness. The consumer challenged it at the POI and then on appeal. That was an industrial connection, so the amount is not a guide to what a household might face, but it shows the route is the same.
Mistakes that cost people money
- Treating a slow-meter bill as a theft bill. If no theft is alleged and the company says your meter was slow, the limit is two billing cycles.
- Believing the 12-month rule already applies. It is a proposal. Even if approved, the reported limit for homes is six months.
- Missing the seven working days. A late or missing reply weakens your position.
- Assuming you cannot challenge it. The POI can and does void detection bills.
- Paying someone to settle it informally. Pay only through the official bill. Anyone offering to make a detection bill disappear for cash is not part of the process.
Commenting on NEPRA's proposal
Anyone can send comments on the proposed amendments. Reports put the deadline at 25 October 2026, 30 days after the notice. Confirm the date and the address for comments in the notice PDF on NEPRA's news page before you write. If you have been through a detection bill dispute, a short factual account of what happened is the kind of comment that is useful.
What to do next
- Check whether your bill is a detection bill, a slow-meter supplementary bill or an ordinary bill, using the table above.
- Count the months charged and compare them with the limit for your tariff category.
- If you have a notice, send a written reply within seven working days and ask for the inspection report.
- Find the POI or Electric Inspector address printed on your bill and file there if the company goes ahead.
- View your latest bill with your reference number on the bill checker so you have a current copy for your file.
Sources
- NEPRA News & Updates (public notice and proposed CSM amendments, 25-09-2026)
- Dawn: Nepra proposes higher grid-sharing charges
- The Nation: Nepra proposes major overhaul of consumer service manual
- ProPakistani: NEPRA Plans Changes to Electricity Theft Detection Bill Rules
- Daily Independent: NEPRA Proposes Grid Sharing Charges for High Rise Buildings
- Business Recorder: Detection bills period: Nepra rejects Discos' proposal
- Business Recorder: Amendments to CSM proposed (CSM revised 26 Nov 2025)
- NEPRA order on show cause to MEPCO, 10-04-2025
- NEPRA Appellate Board, Appeal No. 248-2019 (MEPCO)
- NEPRA Appellate Board, Appeals 072/2021 & 089/2021 (K-Electric)
- NEPRA proposed amendment in CSM 2021 (Nov 2023 draft; not confirmed adopted)
- CSM copy on Scribd (mirror, verify only)
- CSM January 2021 copy (mirror, verify only)
- CSM January 2021 copy (mirror, verify only)