Building a new house in Peshawar, Mardan or Bannu? Before the first fan can turn, you need a meter from PESCO. The process is not hard, but it has a fixed order. If you skip a step, the file sits in the sub-division office and nothing moves.
This guide walks through that order for a normal home or shop connection. It uses the rules in NEPRA's Consumer Service Manual, which PESCO publishes on its own website, and the online portal that PESCO links to for new connections.
- Is your area really PESCO? Hazara division (Abbottabad, Haripur, Mansehra and nearby districts) is now served by HAZECO. The merged tribal districts are served by TESCO. Apply to the company that supplies your street.
- Is the house wired and tested? The manual asks for a wiring test report from the Electric Inspector or an authorised wiring contractor.
- Do you know your load? Add up the kilowatts you plan to use. A normal house is usually well under 15 kW, which is the simplest category.
Pick your route: online or at the office
PESCO's website has a "New Connection" link that opens the Electricity New Connection (ENC) portal. The portal is run by PITC and lists PESCO among the companies it serves. From there you can apply, track your file, print the form and print or pay the demand notice.
You can also apply in person at your PESCO sub-division office. The manual says the application form and the power supply contract are free in English and Urdu at every sub-division, division and circle office. Staff must help you fill them in.
Either way, PESCO must give you an acknowledgement and a serial number, tracking ID or case ID. Write it down. You need it for every later step. If you apply online, you may still be asked to visit the office with your original papers before the meter is fitted.
Gather the papers once, and get them right
Most delays come from a missing page. For a home or shop, the manual lists:
- Ownership proof of the premises.
- An affidavit on Rs 50 non-judicial stamp paper from the owner. It says no connection existed there before and the owner will clear any old dues found later. It also says the applicant is not a defaulter of any electricity company.
- Attested CNIC copies of the applicant and one witness.
- A wiring test report, as mentioned above.
- An approved map, site plan or NOC from the civic agency, where one applies.
The map rule has many exceptions. You do not need one inside an approved housing society. You also do not need one in old abadis on land inherited from forefathers, or in areas the civic agency has not acquired or developed. For houses and shops in rural areas, the company can relax it. This matters across much of PESCO's area, where many homes are on family land.
Read the demand notice before you pay it
After a site survey, PESCO prepares a cost estimate and issues a demand notice. It covers the connection charges and the security deposit. You can collect it, get it by post or email, or download it from the portal with your tracking ID.
Check three things on it:
- The due date. You get 30 days to pay. You can ask for another 30 days of grace, but the request must reach PESCO at least three days before the first deadline.
- The bank. The notice names the banks that accept it. Where online payment is offered, you can pay online instead.
- The security deposit. It is charged per kilowatt of sanctioned load.
| Category | Urban | Rural |
|---|---|---|
| Residential (A-1) | Rs 1,220 per kW | Rs 610 per kW |
| Commercial (A-2) | Rs 1,810 per kW | Rs 920 per kW |
So, on those rates, a 5 kW house in a city would pay Rs 6,100 as security, and the same house in a village Rs 3,050. Connection charges come on top and depend on the material needed. Your demand notice is the final word on the amount.
Two more rules help small users. No cost escalation can be charged to homes up to 20 kW or shops up to 15 kW. And you may ask to pay the demand notice in instalments, with no mark-up, though the meter is fitted only after full payment.
Know the clock PESCO is on
Annexure III of the manual sets a time frame for each stage. For loads up to 15 kW, it looks like this:
For 15 to 70 kW, the total is 44 days, and the XEN's office handles it. If PESCO misses a deadline, the manual says it must give you written reasons for each day of delay, with a copy to NEPRA.
Two families, one house
Joint family homes are common in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The manual allows more than one connection at the same address if each portion has its own electric circuit, kitchen and entrance. You also need a Rs 50 stamp paper affidavit that a separate family lives in each portion. Both meters will be fed from the same transformer.
If the file gets stuck
Start with your tracking ID on the ENC portal. If the status has not moved past the time limit, visit the sub-division office and ask for the reason in writing. For general complaints, PESCO lists 118, SMS 8118 and its Central Complaint Cell on its Complaint Cell page. If PESCO still does not act, you can complain to NEPRA through its official website.
Once the meter is on, your first bill will arrive with a reference number. Keep it safe. You can check every later bill on our PESCO bill page, and estimate your monthly cost with the electricity bill calculator.
Questions people ask
Is the PESCO application form free?
Yes. The manual says the application form and power supply contract are free at PESCO offices and on the website.
Do I need a map for a house in a village?
Usually not. PESCO can relax the map or NOC rule for rural houses and shops, and it does not apply to old abadis on inherited land.
How long does a new home connection take?
For loads up to 15 kW, the manual's time frame adds up to 30 days. The steps after the demand notice start once you have paid it in full.
Can I pay the demand notice late?
You have 30 days. You can ask for 30 more days of grace if you apply at least three days before the due date.
I live in Abbottabad. Do I apply to PESCO?
No. Hazara division is now served by HAZECO, so apply to HAZECO instead.
Sources: PESCO website (home page links and Complaint Cell page); NEPRA Consumer Service Manual, PESCO-hosted copy, chapter 2 and Annexures III and IV; ENC portal, enc.com.pk (all checked 4 November 2026).
