Look at the box marked Tariff on your FESCO bill. It holds a short code such as A-1 or A-2. That code decides your unit rate, your fixed charges and even your security deposit. If it no longer matches how you use the place, you can ask FESCO to change it. If FESCO got it wrong, you can ask for it to be fixed.
This guide uses two official sources: FESCO's own tariff page and FAQs, and the NEPRA Consumer Service Manual (revised 26 November 2025). FESCO must follow that manual in all eight of its districts, from Faisalabad and Jhang to Sargodha and Bhakkar.
What the code on your bill means
These are the codes most FESCO consumers will see. They come from FESCO's tariff schedule, effective from 12 February 2026.
| Code | Used for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| A-1 | Homes (residential) | If the sanctioned load is 5 kW or more, the home is billed on a Time of Use (peak and off-peak) tariff. |
| A-2 | Shops, offices and other commercial use | Has its own fixed charges, even below 5 kW. |
| A-3 | General services | Fixed monthly charges apply. |
| B-1 | Industry up to 25 kW | Supplied at 400/230 volts. |
| B-2 | Industry above 25 kW up to 500 kW | Supplied at 400 volts. |
We do not copy the rates here because they change. Check the current numbers on FESCO's tariff page.
"I want to move my connection to another category"
The NEPRA manual (clause 7.4.1) allows these changes:
- Any move between A-1, A-2 and A-3. For example, home to shop, or shop back to home.
- Commercial to industrial B-1 or B-2, and back again.
- Seasonal industrial to regular industrial, and back again.
- Tube well to industrial. An industrial connection cannot become a tube well connection until one year after it was energised.
Four conditions apply to every change:
- The officer who sanctions connections of your size gives the approval.
- No dues can be outstanding on the connection.
- You pay the security deposit at today's rate for the new category. What you paid before is adjusted against it.
- You sign a new supply contract with FESCO.
Seasonal industry has one more rule. FESCO's tariff page says the choice between seasonal and regular tariff can be made only at the time of a new connection or at the start of the season. Once made, it stays for at least one year.
"Which papers do I take?"
FESCO's own FAQ lists a short set of papers. The NEPRA manual (clause 2.15) lists more. Carry the full set so you are not sent back.
| FESCO FAQ asks for | NEPRA manual asks for |
|---|---|
| Copy of CNIC | Attested copy of the applicant's CNIC |
| Last paid bill | Copy of the last paid bill, with no arrears, deferred amount or installments pending |
| Affidavit of Rs 20 | Application form (Annex-I) and a power supply contract |
| - | Wiring test report from the Electric Inspector or his authorised contractor |
| - | Security deposit at current rates, and capital cost if it applies |
You do not need an approved building map or an NOC from a civic agency for a change of tariff. Clause 2.3.6 of the manual says so clearly, in any area, unless a court has stopped connections there.
Submit the papers to your subdivision (SDO) office. Its address is printed on your bill.
"How long should it take?"
FESCO's FAQ says the change is made in two or three days. The NEPRA manual sets the outer limits:
Apply at least 30 days before you want the new tariff (7.4.3).
FESCO must process and approve the case within 30 days of your application (7.4.5).
Once you meet every requirement, the change is due within 10 days. After that, the bill moves to the new tariff on a pro-rata basis (2.15).
A complaint about a change of tariff must be resolved within 30 days (10.3.1).
Keep a stamped copy of your application. The dates only help if you can prove when you applied.
"FESCO says I am misusing my tariff"
Misuse means using a connection for something other than what it was sanctioned for. NEPRA's own example is a domestic A-1 connection being used for commercial work. The manual (clause 7.5.2) then sets clear limits on FESCO:
- FESCO must give you seven days' clear notice.
- It can change the tariff straight away.
- It can charge the difference for the past. But without documentary proof, the back charge cannot cover more than two billing cycles.
Industry has a similar rule. If a B-1 consumer uses more than 25 kW, FESCO must issue a notice to move the connection to B-2. The tariff difference can be charged for no more than six months back, and the claim has to be raised within one year (clause 7.5.3).
Any such extra bill is a supplementary bill. Under clause 7.5.5 it must show the reason, the amount, the period charged and the taxes. If yours does not, ask for the details in writing before you pay.
"My tariff was wrong from the start"
Putting a new connection on the correct tariff is FESCO's job. Clause 7.6 of the manual works in the consumer's favour both ways:
Billed on a lower tariff by mistake? FESCO cannot send you a differential bill for the past.
Billed on a higher tariff by mistake? You get credit for up to six months back, counted from the date the mistake is pointed out.
So point it out in writing as soon as you notice. Every month you wait is a month you may not get back.
Moving back to a home tariff? You can estimate your new FESCO home bill with our calculator.
"Has NEPRA ever ruled on this against FESCO?"
Yes. Two published decisions show the rules at work.
- What happened
- FESCO charged an audit amount of Rs 28,653 for misuse of domestic tariff at a premises it said was educational. The detection covered 3,271 units over 15 months, and FESCO moved the connection from A-1 to A-3.
- What NEPRA found
- Charging 15 months went against clause 7.5.2. FESCO had no solid documentary or photo evidence of misuse. It had already moved the tariff back to A-1, and NEPRA said the audit amount had to be withdrawn.
- Lesson
- Ask for the evidence. Without proof, the back charge is capped at two billing cycles.
- What happened
- A mosque with a 7 kW load was billed on a non-Time of Use tariff from 2008. FESCO switched it to Time of Use only in February 2018, after the mosque asked.
- What NEPRA found
- FESCO should have given Time of Use metering by April 2013. But complaints are accepted within one year of the cause, so NEPRA ordered a revised bill only from February 2017, one year before the complaint.
- Lesson
- Years of overcharging were lost because the complaint came late. Speak up early.
"FESCO is not listening. What now?"
First, put your complaint in writing at the SDO office and keep the copy with its date. If 30 days pass with no answer, you can file a complaint on the NEPRA Complaint Management System. If the dispute is about a bill already charged, our guide to the FESCO Electric Inspector (POI) route explains the other option.
Common questions
Can I change from commercial back to residential?
Yes. Moves between A-1, A-2 and A-3 are allowed both ways under clause 7.4.1, as long as no dues are pending.
Can I apply if I have an installment running?
The NEPRA manual asks for a last paid bill with no arrears, deferred amount or installments pending. Clear those first.
Do I need a map or NOC for a tariff change?
No. Clause 2.3.6 says a map or NOC is not needed for a change of tariff, unless a court has restricted connections in that area.
Can a tenant apply?
The application goes in the consumer's name, the person named on the bill. If the bill is in someone else's name, fix that first with a change of name.
Sources: NEPRA Consumer Service Manual, revised 2025 (clauses 2.3.6, 2.15, 5.2.2, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 10.3.1); FESCO tariff schedule; FESCO FAQs (Q11); NEPRA decisions of 5 April 2024 and 12 September 2018, listed on NEPRA's FESCO decisions page.
