The Power Division has barred electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) across Pakistan from issuing manual detection bills, announcing that every detection bill must now be generated through a centralised online portal. Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division) Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari issued the orders after receiving widespread complaints about excessive, arbitrary and unjustified detection bills being charged to consumers.
According to an official Power Division statement released on Friday, October 23, 2026, all DISCOs are now required to generate detection bills exclusively through a centralised online portal developed by the Power Information Technology Company (PITC). Field staff and sub-divisional officers (SDOs) will no longer be permitted to prepare or issue detection bills by hand.
What Are Detection Bills?
Detection bills are special charges levied on electricity consumers when a meter is found faulty, burnt, running fast or slow, tampered with, or when illegal use of electricity is detected. Because these bills are often based on estimates rather than actual meter readings, they have long been a source of disputes between consumers and distribution companies.
In many cases, consumers have reported receiving inflated detection bills running into tens of thousands of rupees with little explanation. The lack of a standardised process meant that the amounts could vary widely depending on who prepared the bill, creating room for arbitrary and sometimes unjustified charges.
The Power Division’s New Directive
Under the new instructions, the era of handwritten or manually calculated detection bills is over. Every detection bill must now be produced through the PITC-developed centralised portal, which is expected to apply standardised rules and create a digital record of each case.
The directive was issued after the Federal Minister took notice of consumer complaints about excessive and unjustified detection bills. During a meeting with the boards of directors of the DISCOs, Leghari called for a comprehensive reform framework that protects consumers while keeping the fight against electricity theft on track.
Officials said the centralised system will make billing more transparent and traceable, reducing the discretion of individual field staff in deciding how much a consumer should be charged.
Strict Action Against Violations
The Power Division has warned that officials found violating the new directive will face disciplinary proceedings, which could lead to major penalties. Sub-divisional officers and field staff who continue to prepare or issue manual detection bills will be held personally accountable.
The warning is aimed at ensuring the new system is actually followed on the ground, where manual billing practices have been deeply entrenched for years.
Proposed Caps on Detection Billing
The Power Division is also planning to propose amendments to the Consumer Service Manual (CSM) to introduce clear timelines and caps for detection billing. These measures are still at the proposal stage and will only become formal rules once approved and officially notified.
The proposed changes include replacing faulty or burnt meters immediately or within a maximum of two billing cycles, and limiting average billing to two months in such cases. For meters found running fast or slow, recovery or credit adjustments would be restricted to the previous two billing cycles.
For cases of illegal electricity use, detection bills for general consumers would be limited to three billing cycles. Detection billing for registered consumers would be capped at a maximum period of six months, while for unregistered consumers it would be limited to a maximum of 12 months.
The proposed changes aim to bring greater consistency to detection billing and reduce the risk of consumers being charged excessive amounts stretching over long periods.
Power Theft Crackdown Continues
Leghari stressed that tackling power theft remains a national priority, but said consumers should not face unjustified financial burdens because of arbitrary billing practices. The message is clear: the crackdown on electricity theft will continue, but it must be conducted fairly and within the rules.
The government has been pushing a series of reforms in the power sector to reduce losses, improve recovery and protect honest consumers from the cost of theft and inefficiency.
What This Means for Consumers
For ordinary consumers, the change means that any detection bill they receive should now come from the centralised online system rather than being calculated by hand by local staff. Consumers who receive detection bills can ask for the system-generated record and should report any manual bills to the relevant DISCO or the Power Division’s complaint channels.
The directive is effective immediately, and consumers who believe they have been charged an excessive or arbitrary detection bill now have a stronger basis to challenge it.
Sources: Power Division official statement, October 23, 2026.
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