Your electricity bill packs a lot into one page, and most of it is not the cost of electricity. The energy charge sits alongside the Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA), the Quarterly Tariff Adjustment (QTR), several surcharges, taxes, and a PTV fee. On a typical domestic bill these extras run from 18 to 28 percent of the total. This guide walks the bill top to bottom: the header that identifies your connection, the meter and units block, every charge and tax line, and the two due-date totals that decide what you pay.
The header: who and what the bill is for
The header carries your identity on the network. It shows the 14-digit reference number, the consumer name and address, the connection or account number, the tariff category (for example A-1 domestic), and the sanctioned load. The reference number is the key that opens the bill online, so note it once.
This block also prints the bill month and the issue date. Read the tariff category here to confirm whether you are billed as protected, unprotected or commercial.
Meter reading and units consumed
The meter block shows the previous reading, the current reading, and a multiplication factor (MF) that is usually 1 for domestic meters. Units consumed equals current reading minus previous reading, times the MF.
Compare the units consumed here against your own meter reading. A large gap can mean an estimated bill or a meter fault, both grounds for a complaint. This units figure drives every rate on the bill.
Charges, surcharges and taxes explained
Each line adds to the total, and only the first is the cost of the electricity itself. The surcharges and taxes are set by NEPRA and the government, not by your distribution company, so they appear on every DISCO bill in the same form.
| Line on the bill | What it is |
|---|---|
| Cost of electricity | Units multiplied by your slab rate. The core energy charge. |
| FPA (Fuel Price Adjustment) | A monthly plus or minus for the real fuel cost versus the reference cost. Often a few rupees per unit. |
| QTR (Quarterly Tariff Adjustment) | A quarterly adjustment for capacity and system costs, applied per unit. |
| FC Surcharge (Financing Cost) | A per-unit surcharge tied to power-sector debt, around 43 paisa. |
| Neelum-Jhelum Surcharge | 10 paisa per unit toward the Neelum-Jhelum hydropower loan. |
| Electricity Duty | A provincial tax, around 1.5 percent of the energy charge. |
| GST (sales tax) | Federal sales tax on the electricity charges. |
| PTV fee | A fixed Rs 35 on domestic bills for public broadcasting. |
| Further or Extra Tax | Applied to unregistered or commercial consumers. |
| Income tax | Withholding tax that kicks in above a bill threshold. |
| Arrears | Unpaid amounts carried forward from earlier months. |
The two due-date amounts
Near the bottom sit two totals: payable within due date, and payable after due date. The second is higher. The gap between them is the late payment surcharge, usually around 10 percent, and you avoid it by paying on or before the due date.
A bill can also show a deferred amount or an installment when a large charge is split across months. Read that line so a one-off spike does not surprise you.
Payment stub and back of the bill
The tear-off stub repeats the reference number and the payable amount for bank and app payments. The back of the bill usually prints the slab rates, the complaint numbers, and any notices from your DISCO.
Keep the paid stub or the app Transaction ID until the next bill shows the amount cleared. That record settles any dispute over whether a payment posted.
Tips & things to watch
- Only the first charge line is electricity. The rest are FPA, QTR, surcharges and taxes set above your DISCO.
- Check units consumed against your own meter reading. A big gap points to an estimated or faulty reading.
- Pay by the due date to skip the gap between the payable-within and payable-after totals.
Frequently asked questions
FPA is the Fuel Price Adjustment, a monthly charge or credit for the difference between the real fuel cost and the reference cost in the approved tariff. It changes month to month.
QTR is the Quarterly Tariff Adjustment, a per-unit charge updated every three months for capacity and system costs. It applies to non-lifeline consumers.
The PTV fee is a fixed Rs 35 on domestic bills, collected for Pakistan Television regardless of whether you own a TV. It is a government levy, not a DISCO charge.
One is payable within the due date, the other payable after. The higher after-due figure includes the late payment surcharge, usually around 10 percent.
Arrears are unpaid amounts carried forward from previous months, added on top of the current month's charges until they are cleared.