The most common misunderstanding about electricity pricing in Pakistan is that there is one "rate per unit." There is not. What you pay per unit depends on how much you consume, which tariff category you fall into, and a set of monthly and quarterly adjustments layered on top. NEPRA — the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority — sets these rates, and every DISCO (LESCO, MEPCO, IESCO, FESCO, and the rest) applies the same NEPRA-determined tariff.
The rates below reflect the FY2025–26 schedule that governs bills through 2026. They are approved by NEPRA and revised periodically, so always confirm the figure on your own bill or the current NEPRA schedule before relying on an exact number.
The Most Important Distinction: Protected vs Unprotected
Before any slab rate applies, your bill is classified into one of two categories, and this single distinction has the biggest effect on what you pay.
Protected consumers are households using 200 units or fewer for the past six consecutive months, with no air conditioner registered on the meter and a sanctioned load under 5 kW. They receive heavily subsidised rates — roughly Rs. 10.54 per unit for 1–100 units and around Rs. 13.01 per unit for 101–200 units, with a small fixed charge.
Unprotected consumers are everyone else — anyone consuming above 200 units in any month, with an AC registered on the meter, or a sanctioned load above 5 kW. Unprotected rates are dramatically higher, and crucially, crossing 200 units even once can move you into the unprotected category for six months.
Unprotected Residential Slab Rates (2026)
For unprotected residential consumers, the per-unit rate rises with consumption. As an approximate guide under the current schedule, the rate begins near Rs. 22–24 per unit for the lowest band, climbs through roughly Rs. 29 per unit in the 101–200 range and Rs. 33–34 per unit in the 201–300 range, and reaches the maximum domestic ceiling of around Rs. 47 per unit for the highest consumption band above 700 units.
The exact breakpoints and paise-level figures vary slightly by determination and month, so treat these as representative rather than precise. The pattern, however, is consistent: the more you use, the more each additional unit costs.
The Slab Trap Everyone Gets Caught By
Here is the mechanic that causes most bill shock. In Pakistan's system, when you cross a slab threshold, the higher rate can apply to a large portion of your consumption — not only the units above the line. NEPRA's rules give consumers the benefit of only one previous slab, which softens but does not eliminate the jump.
The practical effect is stark. A household comfortably using 200–300 units through winter can leap to 600–700 units in summer when an air conditioner runs all day, and land in a far more expensive tariff band. A single non-inverter 1.5-ton AC running eight hours a day can add roughly 480 units a month on its own — enough to push a household deep into the highest slab.
What Else Is Added to the Per-Unit Rate
The base slab rate is only the starting point. Your final bill also includes several additions:
Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA): a variable per-unit charge that changes every month based on the actual cost of generating power. It can be positive or, occasionally, a credit — and it is why identical usage produces different bills in different months.
Quarterly Tariff Adjustment (QTA): a periodic per-unit adjustment recovered over a three-month cycle, which makes some quarterly bills noticeably heavier.
Surcharges: in March 2026 an additional surcharge of around Rs. 3.82 per unit was applied for the March–June window, replacing a much smaller earlier surcharge. Surcharges of this kind are set by government policy and change over time.
Taxes and levies: GST at 18%, a TV licence fee of about Rs. 35, electricity duty, and income tax on higher bills. Non-filers also face higher deductions, which is one more reason to be on the FBR Active Taxpayer List.
Fixed charges: a flat monthly amount, from around Rs. 75 up to several hundred rupees depending on connection type, charged regardless of consumption.
The National Average, for Context
For a rough sense of scale, NEPRA set the national average base tariff at around Rs. 31–33 per unit for the current period. This average is useful only as a reference point — your actual per-unit cost depends entirely on your protected or unprotected status and your consumption slab, and it climbs well above the average once fuel adjustment, surcharges, and taxes are added.
See Which Slab You Are In
The fastest way to know your real per-unit rate is to look at your own bill, which shows your slab, your units, and the rate applied. Pull it up on your DISCO's tool — for example the LESCO bill page, the MEPCO bill page, or the QESCO bill page — or start at the electricity bill hub for any region. To keep an eye on your other utility at the same time, the gas bill tool works the same way.
The Short Version
There is no single per-unit rate in Pakistan. Protected consumers (200 units or fewer, no AC, under 5 kW) pay around Rs. 10–13 per unit; unprotected consumers pay from about Rs. 22 up to roughly Rs. 47 per unit depending on their slab. On top of the base rate come fuel adjustment, quarterly adjustment, surcharges, and taxes. Crossing 200 units can lock you into unprotected rates for six months, so managing your consumption — especially AC hours — is the real lever. Check your bill to see the exact rate applied to you, and confirm current figures on the NEPRA schedule, since they are revised periodically.