Three parties can rule on a FESCO bill dispute. First FESCO itself. Then the Electric Inspector, also called the Provincial Office of Inspection (POI). Last, NEPRA. Most people stop at the first step. They don't need to.
The POI is a Punjab government office, not part of FESCO. Section 38 of the NEPRA Act gives it the power to hear disputes about metering, billing and collection of tariff. NEPRA's Consumer Service Manual (CSM, clause 15.1.2) lists it as your option when FESCO's answer does not satisfy you, or FESCO does not reply at all. Here is how that route works in the FESCO area, with real 2026 results.
Find your inspector's office
FESCO covers eight districts. The Punjab Energy Department splits them between two Electric Inspector offices:
| Your district | Office | Address and phone | FESCO circles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faisalabad, Chiniot, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh | Electric Inspector, Faisalabad Region | Opposite Commissioner Office, Civil Lines, Faisalabad 041-9200551 | Faisalabad Circle-I, Faisalabad Circle-II, Jhang |
| Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali, Bhakkar | Electric Inspector, Sargodha Region | H. No. 225-226, Peer Muhammad Colony, behind Imtiaz Shopping Mall, University Road, Sargodha 048-3765238 | Sargodha, Mianwali |
Source: Punjab Energy Department, Electricity Billing Complaints page (checked 21 Oct 2026). The same page links to the department's online Electricity Billing Complaint portal.
Tip: you may not need this table at all. CSM clause 6.4.1 says your bill must print the address of the Electric Inspector / POI. Look at the address section of your FESCO bill.
Follow the clock
This is the order of events. Dates matter more than anything else on this route.
Complain to FESCO in writing. Keep the receipt or complaint number as proof.
Ask for a POI meter test. Under CSM clause 4.3.5, tell FESCO in writing that you have asked the Electric Inspector to check your meter. FESCO must then leave the meter in place until the POI tests it, in front of you and FESCO staff.
The POI should test the meter. If it is slow or fast, the bill can be debited or credited for a maximum of two months, by the measured percentage.
The POI gives a written decision. Note the date you receive your copy. That date starts the next clock.
Appeal to NEPRA, if needed. Either side (you or FESCO) can appeal within 30 days of receiving the decision. NEPRA can accept a late appeal only on an application showing sufficient cause.
NEPRA's Appellate Board hears it. The other side gets 10 days to reply. The rules say an appeal should be decided within 60 days "as far as possible". In practice, FESCO cases decided in 2026 were often a year old or more.
Learn from real FESCO cases
NEPRA has posted 30 Appellate Board decisions on FESCO cases in 2026 so far. Almost all are appeals against the POI in Faisalabad or Sargodha. Six of them show the pattern:
| Appeal | What FESCO charged | POI said | NEPRA said |
|---|---|---|---|
| 151/2025 (farm tube-well, 15 kW) | Rs 60,117 for 2,590 units, charged in Feb 2024 for a meter that failed in Aug 2022 | Cancelled | FESCO appeal dismissed |
| 004/2026 (industrial, 15.6 kW) | Rs 199,582 for 3,944 units, added to the June 2025 bill | Cancelled; charge only the 41 units still unbilled on the meter | FESCO appeal dismissed |
| 005/2026 (industrial, 7 kW) | Rs 224,416 for 5,008 units for three months; one phase dead | Cancelled | Modified FESCO may bill two months at 33% slowness |
| 073/2024 (farm tube-well, 7.46 kW) | Rs 286,982 for 8,801 units for three months; meter 66% slow | Cut to 5,131 units for two billing cycles | Consumer appeal dismissed two-month bill stays |
| 174/2025 (farm, 59.88 kW, POI Sargodha) | Rs 5,109,852 for 125,720 units after alleged meter tampering and an FIR | Upheld in full | Bill cancelled six months at 11,800 units a month allowed instead |
| 083/2025 (home, 3 kW) | Rs 622,735 for 9,735 units | Cancelled (FESCO did not appear) | FESCO appeal time-barred filed 64 days after it got the decision |
What these cases teach:
- The POI often cancels or trims FESCO's extra bills. In all six cases, the final bill was lower than what FESCO first charged.
- The "two months" limit for a slow meter came up again and again. Three-month bills were cut back to two.
- Winning at the POI is not the end. FESCO appealed in four of these six cases. Be ready to answer.
- Deadlines bite both ways. NEPRA threw out FESCO's own appeal in 083/2025 for being late. It did the same in 009/2026, over a Rs 3,972,274 bill.
- Don't run two cases at once. In 174/2025, the consumer also filed a complaint with NEPRA's complaints wing. NEPRA's Complaints Resolution Committee sent him back to the Appellate Board, the forum already hearing the POI appeal.
Pack the appeal correctly
If you lose at the POI and want to appeal, NEPRA's appeal regulations are strict about form. Missing pieces can get an appeal returned. Your packet:
- Memorandum of appeal on NEPRA's forms (Form A, Form C and Form D), with numbered grounds and no rude language
- A certified copy of the POI decision
- An affidavit signed by you and verified by an Oath Commissioner
- Appeal fee of Rs 1,000, paid by pay order, bank draft or a digital method, with proof of payment attached (digital payment added by a May 2026 amendment)
- Typed on one side of legal-size paper, double-spaced, pages numbered and stitched
- Four sets in a paper book
- Written authority, if a lawyer or someone else files for you
- Sent by registered post or courier, addressed to the Registrar, NEPRA, NEPRA Tower, Attaturk Avenue (East), G-5/1, Islamabad
Hearings for FESCO appeals in 2026 were held at NEPRA's Regional Office in Lahore, and in at least one case a party joined by Zoom. If you are the appellant and miss your hearing, NEPRA can dismiss the appeal.
Avoid these mistakes
- Throwing away the envelope or receipt that shows when the POI decision reached you. The 30 days run from that date.
- Letting FESCO remove a disputed meter before the POI test, after you have sent the written notice.
- Skipping hearings. In several 2026 FESCO appeals, the consumer did not file a reply or appear. NEPRA decided on FESCO's papers alone.
- Ignoring an interim payment order. In 174/2025, the consumer paid a provisional Rs 1,000,000 under a NEPRA order while the case went on.
Quick answers
Where is the Electric Inspector for FESCO in Jhang or Toba Tek Singh?
Both come under the Faisalabad Region office, Opposite Commissioner Office, Civil Lines, Faisalabad (041-9200551). Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali and Bhakkar come under the Sargodha Region office (048-3765238).
How long do I have to appeal a POI decision to NEPRA?
30 days from the day you receive a copy of the decision. NEPRA can allow a late appeal only if you apply and show sufficient cause. FESCO itself has lost appeals for missing this limit.
What is the fee for a NEPRA appeal against a POI decision?
Rs 1,000. Since May 2026, it can be paid by pay order, bank draft or digital means. Attach proof of payment to the appeal.
Official sources to check: Punjab Energy Department, Electricity Billing Complaints and Electric Inspector offices; NEPRA Appellate Board decisions, FESCO (Appeals 151/2025, 004/2026, 005/2026, 073/2024, 174/2025, 083/2025, 009/2026); NEPRA Consumer Service Manual, revised Nov 2025, clauses 4.3.5, 6.4.1 and 15.1; NEPRA (Procedure for Filing Appeals) Regulations, 2012, with amendments S.R.O. 562(I)/2013 and S.R.O. 863(I)/2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Last checked: 21 Oct 2026.
