Utility Billing Glossary

Plain-language definitions for every term you'll find on your electricity, gas, and water bills in Pakistan.

Billing Terms

FPA (Fuel Price Adjustment): A monthly surcharge on electricity bills reflecting changes in fuel costs for power generation. When international fuel prices rise, FPA increases even if your consumption stays the same.
TV Fee: A fixed monthly charge of Rs. 35 on electricity bills to fund Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV). It applies to all domestic connections.
TOU (Time of Use): A tariff structure where electricity costs differ by time of day. Peak hours (typically 6–10 PM) cost significantly more than off-peak hours.
Protected Consumer: A residential consumer using 200 units or less per month who receives subsidized tariff rates. Protected status resets if usage exceeds 200 units for 3 consecutive months.
Net Metering: A billing mechanism where solar panel owners export excess electricity to the grid and receive credits on their bill. Requires NEPRA-approved net metering registration.
Meter Rent: A fixed monthly charge for the gas or electricity meter installed at your premises. Typically Rs. 20–40 per month.
Minimum Bill: The lowest amount charged even if consumption is zero, covering fixed costs like meter rent and service charges.
Arrears: Unpaid amounts from previous billing cycles carried forward to the current bill. Shown as a separate line item with the original due date.
LPS (Late Payment Surcharge): A penalty of 10% per annum applied on bills paid after the due date. Calculated daily on the outstanding amount.

FC Surcharge: Financing Cost surcharge applied to recover the cost of circular debt and power sector loans. It appears as a separate line item on WAPDA/DISCO bills.
GST (General Sales Tax): A 17% tax applied on the total bill amount including surcharges. It is mandated by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Income Tax: Withholding tax deducted at source on utility bills above certain thresholds. Residential consumers may see this on higher bills.

NEPRA: National Electric Power Regulatory Authority — the government body that sets electricity tariff rates and approves DISCO pricing.
OGRA: Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority — regulates natural gas pricing and sets SNGPL/SSGC tariff rates.
DISCO: Distribution Company — one of 10 regional electricity distributors (LESCO, GEPCO, FESCO, etc.) under WAPDA that deliver power to consumers.
WASA: Water and Sanitation Agency — municipal body managing water supply and sewerage in major Punjab cities (Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad).

Reference Number: A 14-digit unique identifier on your utility bill used to look up and download duplicate bills online. Found at the top-right of paper bills.
Consumer Number: Your permanent account number with the utility provider. Different from the reference number — used for new connections and complaints.
kWh (Kilowatt-hour): The unit of electricity consumption. One kWh equals running a 1000W appliance for one hour. Your bill charges per kWh based on tariff slabs.
MMCF: Million Cubic Feet — the unit used to measure natural gas consumption on SNGPL and SSGC bills.