Due Dates, Late Payment, and Installments
When your bill is due, how the late payment surcharge works and how to avoid it, what happens if you pay late, and how to spread a big bill into installments. All under NEPRA's rules.
Open your billWhen Is Your Electricity Bill Due?
The due date is the last day to pay your electricity bill without a penalty. Pay on or before it and you pay the normal amount; pay after it and a late payment surcharge is added.
NEPRA's consumer service rules set out how the due date is worked out, how to avoid the surcharge, and what happens if you pay late. This guide covers:
How the Due Date Is Set
Your due date is not random. NEPRA's consumer service rules tie it to when the bill is issued and when it reaches you.
Fifteen days from the issue date
Under NEPRA's consumer service rules, the due date is within fifteen days of the date the bill is issued, which is printed on the bill.
At least seven clear days from delivery
You should also get at least seven clear days from the day the bill is actually delivered to you. So even if a bill reaches you late, you still have about a week to pay it.
If the due date is a holiday
If the due date falls on a holiday, it moves to the next working day, so a holiday never shortens your time to pay.
Bills by email or WhatsApp
Companies may also send bills electronically, by email or WhatsApp, and you can download your bill from the company website. The same due date applies however you receive it.
The Late Payment Surcharge (LPS)
If you pay after the due date, your bill carries a higher amount. That extra is the late payment surcharge.
What it is
The late payment surcharge, or LPS, is the amount added for not paying within the due date. Your bill shows two figures: the amount payable within the due date, and a higher amount payable after it. The difference between them is the LPS.
How to avoid it
The simplest way to avoid the LPS is to pay on or before the due date. If you pay by cheque, bank draft, or pay order, NEPRA's consumer service rules say to deposit it at the bank or revenue office at least three days before the due date, so it clears in time.
There is no fixed figure here
The LPS is set in the tariff, not by your company, so we do not quote a number. The exact extra amount is printed on your own bill, as the after-due-date figure, so check it there.
If You Pay Late or Miss the Due Date
Missing the due date adds the surcharge, but a single late bill will not cut off your supply. NEPRA's consumer service rules protect you here.
First, the surcharge
Pay after the due date and you pay the higher, after-due-date amount, which includes the late payment surcharge.
One missed bill will not cut you off
Under NEPRA's consumer service rules, your connection cannot be disconnected for defaulting on a single month's bill.
A notice comes with the second bill
If a bill stays unpaid, a notice giving you seven days comes with the second month's bill. Only if that passes can the supply be cut, and the meter and equipment are removed only after the third bill.
Catch up to stay safe
Paying what is due, or arranging installments with your company, keeps your connection on.
Paying a Big Bill in Installments
If a bill is too large to pay at once, you can ask to pay the current month's bill in installments. NEPRA's consumer service rules set the terms.
No markup if you pay the first part on time
Under NEPRA's consumer service rules, if you pay the first installment by the due date, there is no markup and no late payment surcharge on the current bill.
A markup on the later installments
The remaining installments carry a markup of 14% per year, worked out on a pro-rata basis. And where the due date is extended, the late payment surcharge is not charged.
How to arrange it
Ask at your subdivision office to set up installments. For old unpaid amounts, called arrears, the limits depend on the amount and the approving officer and differ between companies, so ask there.
Where and How to Pay Before the Due Date
You can pay your bill in many ways before the due date. NEPRA's consumer service rules list the official channels.
Banks, post offices, and kiosks
All commercial bank branches and post offices in your city or district collect electricity bills, and NADRA kiosks are authorized too.
Online, card, and ATM
You can also pay online, by ATM or credit card, or by cross cheque at a designated bank branch. Your bill is available to download and pay on the company website.
Apps and wallets
For step by step help with Easypaisa, JazzCash, a wallet, or your bank app, see our guide to paying your electricity bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is my electricity bill due in Pakistan?
What is the late payment surcharge (LPS)?
What happens if I pay my electricity bill late?
Can I pay my electricity bill in installments?
Can my electricity be disconnected for one unpaid bill?
Where can I pay my electricity bill?
Check your bill and the due date
Open your official bill to see your due date and the two amounts, the one within the due date and the one after it, then pay before the date to keep the surcharge off.
More Guides
Keep going with our other simple guides to your electricity bill.
- Payment Methods Easypaisa, JazzCash, banks Read guide
- Read Your Bill What every line means Read guide
- Why Is the Bill So High? High bill, explained Read guide
- Complaints & Helplines How to complain, who to call Read guide
- Detection Bills Caps, formula, your rights Read guide
- Faulty Meter Replacement, testing, your rights Read guide
- Reduce Your Bill Proven ways to use less Read guide
- Peak Hours When power costs more Read guide