ISLAMABAD, October 23, 2026: The federal government has ordered electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) to issue detection bills exclusively through a centralised digital portal, ending manual billing by field officials as part of reforms aimed at protecting consumers from excessive and unjustified electricity charges.
Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division) Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari issued the directives during a meeting with the boards of directors of DISCOs on Friday, taking serious notice of complaints involving arbitrary detection bills and the misuse of discretionary powers by field staff.
The minister warned that incorrect or unjustified detection bills would not be tolerated, stressing that efforts to combat electricity theft must not result in innocent consumers facing unfair financial burdens.
Under the new system, all detection bills must be generated through the centralised online portal developed by the Power Information Technology Company (PITC). Field staff and subdivision officers (SDOs) will no longer have the authority to issue manual or discretionary detection bills outside the prescribed digital process.
Manual billing violations to attract penalties
According to the Power Division, issuing detection bills manually will be treated as serious misconduct, exposing responsible officials and employees to disciplinary proceedings and major penalties.
The minister directed DISCO management to regulate the discretionary powers of field officials while ensuring that honest officers could continue taking legitimate action against electricity theft.
He emphasised that consumer protection and effective enforcement against power theft must operate together under transparent and clearly defined procedures.
The reforms are intended to establish greater accountability in detection billing, which is used to recover charges associated with electricity theft, meter irregularities and other billing discrepancies.
New rules for defective meters and billing adjustments
The Power Division also announced plans to introduce amendments to the Consumer Service Manual (CSM), establishing clearer timelines and restrictions on billing procedures.
Under the proposed framework, defective or burnt electricity meters must be replaced immediately or within a maximum of two billing cycles.
During this period, average billing will be restricted to a maximum of two months, preventing prolonged estimated charges where meters remain defective.
If an electricity meter is found to be running slower or faster than normal, recovery or credit adjustments will be limited to the preceding two billing cycles.
The proposed changes are designed to prevent consumers from facing excessive retrospective adjustments resulting from meter faults or delayed replacements.
Detection billing periods to be restricted
The reform framework also proposes specific limits on the periods for which detection charges may be recovered.
For general consumers involved in illegal electricity abstraction, the chargeable period is proposed to be limited to three billing cycles.
The maximum detection billing period would be capped at six months for registered consumers and 12 months for unregistered consumers.
These provisions are intended to establish consistent billing practices across distribution companies and prevent arbitrary calculations extending over excessive periods.
The Power Division said comprehensive amendments to the Consumer Service Manual would be submitted in the coming days to formalise the revised procedures.
DISCO boards ordered to review bills monthly
Leghari directed the boards of directors of DISCOs and their customer services committees to conduct detailed monthly reviews of detection bills.
The reviews will examine billing accuracy, transparency and the legitimacy of recoveries, ensuring that consumers are charged according to established rules.
The minister said the government was committed to transforming the electricity sector into a consumer-focused system based on transparency, accountability and protection of consumer rights.
He reiterated that no official would be allowed to operate outside the law or impose unjustified financial burdens on electricity consumers.
The Power Division maintained that the new digital billing mechanism, combined with stricter oversight and proposed regulatory amendments, would help address arbitrary detection billing while preserving enforcement measures against electricity theft.