Last updated: · Reviewed by the lescobillonline.com editorial team
Who sets LESCO's tariff
LESCO does not decide what a unit costs. Rates are determined by NEPRA, the national regulator, through public hearings, and then notified uniformly across distribution companies by the federal government. That means the residential rate in Lahore is the same as in most other DISCO areas; what differs between households is consumption, slab, protected status and connection category.
Because rates are revised through determinations and monthly adjustments, any published table is a snapshot. Always cross-check against the current notification before relying on a figure for planning.
Residential slabs and protected status
Residential billing is progressive. Low monthly consumption is priced at the lowest slab; each higher block costs more per unit, and crossing certain thresholds reprices the whole month rather than just the excess.
Protected consumers form a separate, subsidised category. To qualify, a household must remain below the qualifying monthly consumption for six consecutive months. A single month above the threshold moves the account to the non-protected schedule, and the six-month clock restarts. For a household near the boundary, that rule is worth more than any appliance upgrade.
- Single-phase domestic connections are the most common residential category.
- Time-of-use meters bill peak and off-peak units at different rates.
- Life-line rates apply to the very lowest consumption bands.
Commercial and other categories
Commercial connections are billed on a flatter schedule with fewer slabs, and larger connections add fixed charges based on sanctioned load plus, for industrial supply, maximum-demand charges. Agricultural tube-well and bulk-supply tariffs are separate again. If your bill shows a fixed charge you cannot explain, check which tariff category is printed on it — miscategorised connections are more common than people expect and can be corrected through the subdivision.
Taxes, surcharges and adjustments
Taken together these items typically add a quarter to a third on top of the pure energy cost, which is why comparing only the per-unit rate between months is misleading.
| Charge | Basis |
|---|---|
| Electricity Duty | Percentage of the cost of electricity, collected for the province. |
| General Sales Tax | Federal tax applied to the billed amount. |
| Fuel Price Adjustment | Per-unit monthly correction for actual fuel costs. |
| Quarterly Tariff Adjustment | Periodic true-up spread over several bills. |
| TV Licence Fee | Fixed monthly amount for domestic connections. |
| Income Tax | Applies above a bill-amount threshold for non-filers and commercial users. |
Helpful tips
- Check the live unit rates table before budgeting — slab rates change more often than most people assume.
- If your household hovers near the protected threshold, track units weekly rather than monthly.
Warnings & common mistakes
- Rates quoted here are for guidance. The notified NEPRA schedule and your printed bill take precedence.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current LESCO per-unit rate?
It depends on your slab and whether you are a protected consumer. The unit rates page on this site lists the current per-kWh price for each residential slab.
What is the difference between protected and non-protected?
Protected consumers have stayed below the qualifying monthly consumption for six consecutive months and are billed on a subsidised schedule. Non-protected consumers pay the standard slab rates.
Why is my rate different from my neighbour's?
Slab, protected status, tariff category and whether you have a time-of-use meter all change the effective per-unit price.
Do tariff changes apply retrospectively?
Energy rates apply from the notified date, but quarterly adjustments recover or refund earlier periods, which is why an old period can affect a current bill.
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