Understanding Your PESCO Bill

Your PESCO bill packs a lot into one page. This guide walks through the parts that matter — the reference number, how units turn into rupees, protected status, and the taxes and adjustments on top — so the total stops being a mystery.

The 14-digit reference number

The reference number is the long, all-digits field at the top-left of the bill, usually labelled Reference No. It is exactly 14 digits and it does not change from month to month — so once you have it, you can check any future bill. Do not confuse it with:

• the bill number, which is different every month;
• the customer ID or meter number, which are usually shorter.

How units become rupees

Electricity is billed on progressive slabs. The meter records units (kWh); the bill charges the first block of units at one rate, the next block at a higher rate, and so on. Because higher slabs cost more, the last units you use in a heavy month are the most expensive. See the exact figures in the Tariff & Slab Guide, and run your own numbers in the Bill Estimator.

Protected vs unprotected

A protected consumer is a household that has stayed at or below 200 units a month; they pay noticeably lower per-unit rates. Cross the 200-unit line and the bill moves to the unprotected rates for that month. The estimator warns you when your figure would push a protected account into unprotected territory — because that is what the distributor does too.

Taxes, surcharge and FPA

On top of energy charges the bill adds several standard lines:

• Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA) — a per-unit adjustment that changes every month with fuel costs. It can be positive or negative. Copy it from your last bill.
• Surcharge — a per-unit charge carried on the bill (currently about Rs 3.23/unit).
• Electricity duty (1.5%) and GST (18%) — provincial and federal taxes on the charges.
• Fixed charges — the PTV licence fee (Rs 35) and meter rent (Rs 25).

Where to go next

Check and open your bill from the Bill Checker, estimate the total with the Bill Estimator, or see what your appliances add up to with the Appliance & Units Calculator.

This is general guidance for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa consumers, not official PESCO advice. Figures are indicative and were last reviewed July 2024.