A big electricity bill can be impossible to pay in one go — especially after a hot summer of air-conditioning. The good news is that your distribution company does not always demand the full amount at once. Most DISCOs in Pakistan offer a formal installment facility that splits a large bill into manageable monthly parts. Here is how it works and how to apply.
What the installment facility is
An installment plan lets you pay an outstanding bill in two to four monthly installments instead of a single payment. It is a formal arrangement approved by your DISCO — not an informal promise from a meter reader. Once approved, the company issues an installment bill showing each part’s amount and due date, and your supply continues normally as long as you keep paying.
Installments usually apply to large bills — arrears built up over months, a heavy summer bill, or a detection bill after a meter fault. They are designed for genuine hardship, and companies prioritise domestic consumers who apply before the disconnection date on the bill.
Who is eligible
Rules vary slightly between companies, but the typical conditions are:
• You are a domestic consumer (commercial and industrial connections have separate arrangements).
• The bill is genuinely large — companies usually set a minimum amount for installment eligibility.
• You have not defaulted on a previous installment plan recently.
• You apply before the due date or before the disconnection notice period ends.
If your bill carries arrears from earlier unpaid months, the company may require those to be included in the plan. Check the exact payable amount on your company’s checker page (or your own DISCO’s page) before you visit the office, so you know the full figure you are asking to split.
How to apply, step by step
1. Visit your DISCO’s customer service centre (or the sub-divisional office for your area) with your latest bill, a copy of your CNIC and the meter reference number.
2. Fill in the installment request form. State the bill amount, how many installments you need and your reason — staff will tell you what the company currently allows.
3. Get the approval. The officer (usually the SDO or revenue officer) approves the plan and decides the number and size of installments.
4. Collect the revised installment bill. The company issues a new bill or a schedule showing each installment’s due date. Keep it safe — it is your proof of the arrangement.
5. Pay each installment on time through any normal channel — bank, JazzCash, Easypaisa or the online payment methods in our payment guide.
Surcharge and payment rules
Installments are not free of conditions. Expect these rules:
• A surcharge or markup may be added for the installment facility — ask the officer for the exact amount before you sign.
• You must keep paying your current monthly bills in full on top of the installments; the plan covers the old arrears, not future bills.
• The late-payment surcharge still applies to any installment paid after its due date.
• Taxes and fixed charges on the original bill (see our taxes breakdown) are part of the amount being split — they do not disappear.
What happens if you default
Missing an installment is treated like missing the original bill: the company can cancel the plan and issue a disconnection notice for the full remaining balance. Repeated defaulters may also find it harder to get a second plan approved. If you realise you will miss a date, visit the office before it passes — officers are far more flexible with consumers who communicate than with those who simply stop paying.
Before you apply
An installment plan solves the immediate crisis, but the next bill will arrive on schedule. Use the breathing room to bring usage down — our 12 proven tips to reduce your bill are a good place to start — so the plan is a bridge, not the start of a cycle. And always check each new bill online the day it is issued, so you are never caught off guard again.
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