Moving into a new house, building one, or setting up a shop? You will need a new electricity connection before anything else works. The process in Pakistan is straightforward once you know the steps, but it involves an application, a demand notice with fees, and a wait for the meter to be installed. Here is the full picture.
Who handles your application
New connections are issued by the distribution company for your area — one of the ten DISCOs, or K-Electric in Karachi. If you are unsure which company covers you, our WAPDA vs DISCOs guide lists all ten with their regions. Everything below runs through that company; no one else can issue you a meter.
The application process, step by step
1. Get the application form. Collect it from the DISCO’s customer service centre, sub-divisional office or the company’s website/online portal (several companies now accept online applications).
2. Fill it in and attach documents (see the next section). For tenants, the landlord’s documents and a tenancy agreement are needed; the connection usually stays in the owner’s name.
3. Submit at the relevant office and take the receipt. Your application gets a tracking/reference number — keep it.
4. Site survey. The company’s staff visit the premises to confirm the location, check the nearest pole/transformer and decide the technical feasibility.
5. Demand notice. If approved, you receive a demand notice: an official bill listing every charge you must pay (service connection charges, security deposit, meter cost and any extension-of-load charges).
6. Pay the demand notice at the designated bank within its validity period — usually a few weeks. Miss the deadline and the notice lapses.
7. Meter installation. After payment, the company schedules the meter installation and energises the connection. You will get a consumer/reference number, and your first bill follows in the next billing cycle.
Documents you will need
• Copy of your CNIC.
• Proof of ownership of the premises (registry, sale deed or allotment letter) — or the owner’s documents plus tenancy agreement for tenants.
• Affidavit/undertaking on stamp paper as required by the company.
• Recent photographs (some companies ask for them).
• No-dues clearance if a previous connection existed at the same premises with arrears.
Fees: what the demand notice includes
The total cost depends on the connection type (single-phase domestic is cheapest; three-phase and commercial cost more) and on how far your premises are from the existing network. Typical components:
• Service connection charges — the labour and material for extending the line to your premises.
• Security deposit — refundable when the connection is permanently disconnected.
• Meter cost — the price of the meter itself, which the company installs.
• Extension charges if a new pole or transformer work is needed.
Fees are revised periodically, so treat any figure you hear as indicative and rely on the demand notice for the exact amount. Never pay anyone except through the official demand notice at the designated bank — demands for cash “to speed things up” are a red flag.
Typical timeline
For a simple domestic connection near the existing network, the whole process often takes two to six weeks from application to energisation. Connections needing new poles, transformers or road crossings take longer. Delays are common in peak construction season — apply as early as you can, and follow up with your tracking number rather than waiting silently.
Three-phase and commercial connections
Heavier loads — workshops, tube wells, plazas — need three-phase or higher-capacity connections. The process is the same in outline but the survey is more detailed, the demand notice is substantially larger, and load approval may involve the company’s higher offices. Get the load requirement assessed properly before applying: under-declaring causes tripping and penalties later.
After the meter is installed
Note your first meter reading and keep the demand-notice receipt safe. When the first bill arrives, check it online (or on your own company’s checker page) and confirm the name, tariff and reference number are correct. If the name needs correcting later, see our name-change guide. From here on, your monthly routine is simple: read the meter, check the bill, pay before the due date.
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