If a QR code has appeared on your electricity bill, it is not decoration. The electricity bill QR code is how the government now verifies who qualifies for a subsidised power rate under the Cross Subsidy Program. Scanning it opens the official PITC portal, where you confirm your eligibility with your 14-digit reference number and CNIC in about two minutes. This guide walks through the whole process step by step, and explains what happens if you skip it.
What is the QR code on your electricity bill?
In May 2026 the government introduced QR-code verification for subsidised electricity consumers. The aim is simple: make sure the subsidy, a reduced per-unit rate funded by the state, actually reaches deserving households, and stop it leaking to consumers who do not qualify.
Instead of visiting an office or filling in paper forms, eligible consumers scan the QR code printed on their monthly bill. It leads to the official verification portal at css.pitc.com.pk, run by the Power Information Technology Company (PITC), the same organisation that operates the official bill system for all DISCOs.
Who gets the QR code?
The programme is aimed at domestic consumers on subsidised rates, which news reports describe as households using up to around 200 units per month, the protected, low-income category. If your usage and category qualify, the QR code appears on your printed bill automatically. There is nothing to request and nothing to pay.
If there is no QR code on your bill, you are most likely not in the subsidised category, and no action is needed.
Step by step: scan the QR code and verify
- Take your latest paper bill and open the camera app on your phone (or any QR scanner app).
- Point it at the QR code on the bill and tap the link that appears. It should open the official portal at css.pitc.com.pk, check the address before typing anything.
- Enter your 14-digit reference number, the one printed at the top-left of the bill. Not sure where it is? See where to find your reference number.
- Enter your CNIC number.
- Confirm with the OTP (one-time password) sent to your mobile number.
That is it. If your details match the government's records, verification is complete and the subsidised rate continues on your next bill automatically. No office visit, no fee, no paperwork.
What happens after you verify
Nothing changes on your side. Your bill keeps arriving as normal, with the subsidised rate applied. The verification simply ties the subsidy to a real, eligible household. You can keep an eye on your monthly amount and units by checking your electricity bill online with the same reference number, free and with no sign-up.
What if you don't verify?
According to official announcements and news coverage, consumers who ignore the QR code risk losing their subsidised status, which means being billed at the higher unprotected rates. Since verification takes about two minutes, it is not worth putting off. If the QR code will not scan, you can type css.pitc.com.pk into your browser directly and complete the same steps.
A word of caution: only use the official portal
Scammers have been quick to copy this programme. Fake "subsidy registration" links and QR codes are circulating on WhatsApp and social media, built to steal CNIC details and OTPs. The genuine QR code is printed on your bill, and the genuine portal is css.pitc.com.pk, nothing else. Read our companion guide: how to spot fake subsidy links and QR code scams.
Roman Urdu: mukhtasar tariqa
Apne bijli ke bill par chapa hua QR code mobile camera se scan karein. Official portal css.pitc.com.pk khulega. Wahan apna 14 hindson ka reference number aur CNIC number likhein, phir mobile par aane wala OTP code darj karein. Bas, do minute mein verification mukammal, aur subsidy wala kam rate agle bill par bhi jari rahega. Khayal rahe: sirf bill wala QR code scan karein, WhatsApp ya kisi aur link par apni maloomat kabhi na dein.
Check your bill while you're at it
Your reference number does double duty: it verifies your subsidy and it shows your latest bill. Check your electricity bill on eBill Pakistan, it takes about ten seconds, free.