You are building a house in Faisalabad. Or your family has a wedding in Sargodha next month. Either way, you need power before you have a regular meter. FESCO can give you a temporary connection. This guide explains the rules, the papers you need and how the deposit works.
All rules here come from NEPRA's Consumer Service Manual (revised November 2025), Chapter 3. Every DISCO, including FESCO, must follow it.
Two kinds of temporary connection
NEPRA splits temporary supply into two groups. The rules are not the same, so first find your group.
| Construction | Events and testing | |
|---|---|---|
| Used for | Building a house, a building or a plaza | Lighting for weddings, festivals, functions, exhibitions and religious or national ceremonies; testing industrial machines; other short emergencies |
| First period | 6 months | Up to 2 weeks |
| Extension | 3 months at a time, until the job is finished | No extension mentioned in the manual |
| Minimum period | None | None stated |
| Papers | Ownership proof, CNICs, and more (see below) | Copy of CNIC |
Building a house: what to prepare
You use the same application form as a new connection (Annex-I of the manual). You submit it to the FESCO officer who sanctions that type of connection. For a home or shop up to 15 kW, that is normally the SDO of your FESCO sub-division.
- Proof that you own the plot where the connection will go.
- Owner's affidavit, if you are not the owner. The owner signs it on Rs 50 non-judicial stamp paper. It says the owner allows you to apply and will pay any dues on the premises.
- Attested CNIC copies of the applicant and one witness. Tenants also attach the owner's CNIC.
- Map or NOC proof, for big projects only. Housing schemes, plazas, high-rise and multi-storey buildings and industries show that their layout plan or NOC is in process with the civic agency. A single house does not need this.
The money: two demand notices
After FESCO checks your file, you get a demand notice. You pay it at the bank named on it. It can cover two things:
- Capital cost or connection charges. This depends on the work and material needed at your site.
- Security deposit. For temporary supply, this is not a fixed fee. It is the cost of the electricity FESCO expects you to use during the period.
You still get a normal monthly bill for what the meter records. The deposit is not used up by those bills. It is returned when the connection ends, or moved to your regular connection if you get one.
After you pay, FESCO connects you in turn, as per its priority list for temporary connections.
A wedding or event: the 2-week rule
For a function, the process is lighter. You fill the same form and attach a copy of your CNIC. You also pay any connection charges and the security deposit. The connection is for a fixed time of no more than two weeks. Apply early, because FESCO has to install it before the event.
For a public gathering, NEPRA also requires an NOC from the local administration, such as the Deputy or Assistant Commissioner.
Do not miss the extension date
This is where people get caught. FESCO disconnects a temporary connection when the sanctioned period ends. To keep it, apply for an extension at least one week before the end date. FESCO will extend it only if the purpose still exists, for example your house is still under construction.
There is one relief for bigger projects. If your NOC or building map is still waiting for approval, FESCO may keep the temporary connection running for six more months.
When the house is finished
You do not have to start from zero. If you apply for a regular connection for the same property and it is sanctioned:
- FESCO reuses the existing material and the meter.
- Your tariff changes from temporary to the normal one, such as residential.
- Your security deposit is adjusted against the new connection.
You still complete the normal new-connection steps from Chapter 2 of the manual.
If you do not take a regular connection, FESCO keeps the material it installed. It then pays you back for it at a depreciated rate.
Moving it to another plot
Finished one project and starting another? FESCO can shift the temporary connection material to a new site if:
- the new site is inside FESCO's area;
- it is in your name, your legal heir's name, or under a proper lease;
- you have cleared all dues; and
- the feeder and transformer at the new site can take the load.
The charges are fixed by the manual: 10% of the material cost you paid at the time of connection, for shifting and installation, plus the cost of any extra material with 12% store handling, plus 8% of that extra material cost for installation.
Problem with the bill?
If a temporary connection bill looks wrong, first complain to your FESCO sub-division. If that does not work, the Electric Inspector for your district can hear the case. Our guide on the FESCO bill dispute route through the Electric Inspector (POI) shows which of the two offices covers your district. You can check any FESCO bill on our FESCO bill page.
