MEPCO Load-Shedding Schedule: How to Find Your Feeder and Outage Timings

When the power goes off, the first question is usually “what time will it return?” The answer depends on whether the interruption is scheduled load-shedding, planned maintenance, a shutdown for construction, or an unexpected fault. A timetable copied into a WhatsApp group may be old or belong to a different feeder. The reliable starting point is the feeder serving your connection and the latest information published or confirmed by MEPCO.

This guide shows how to find that feeder, use MEPCO’s official schedule pages, and report an outage that does not fit the timetable. It does not publish a fixed schedule because timings change with system conditions, maintenance, weather, emergencies, and official revisions. The information and links were checked on 17 August 2026.

What a feeder is and why it matters

A feeder is part of the distribution network that carries electricity from a grid or substation toward a group of transformers and consumers. Two streets in the same city can be supplied by different feeders and therefore have different shutdown or load-shedding windows. A feeder name is more useful than a broad city or neighbourhood name when checking a schedule.

Your bill may show a feeder, grid, subdivision, division, or related supply identifier. Look around the consumer information, meter details, or service particulars. The label can be abbreviated, and a bill may not display every network field. If you cannot identify it, ask the relevant MEPCO subdivision, customer service centre, or complaint office to tell you the feeder and subdivision for your reference number. Save the answer for future calls.

Do not guess from a nearby pole or transformer. A transformer label can identify local equipment but does not always tell you the feeder name used by MEPCO’s control room. A neighbour on the same street may also be on a different low-voltage section. Confirm the reference number, meter location, and feeder together.

Scheduled load-shedding versus a planned shutdown

Scheduled load-shedding is a planned interruption used as part of a system operating schedule. A shutdown or maintenance notice is tied to work such as repairs, replacement, construction, or preventive maintenance. MEPCO publishes separate pages and notices for load-shedding schedules and shutdown programmes. The notice may list a circle, division, feeder, date, start time, and expected restoration time, but the format can differ.

An emergency fault is different. A damaged transformer, broken conductor, tripped feeder, storm, fire, or safety incident can interrupt supply outside the schedule. Restoration then depends on locating the fault, making the area safe, obtaining material, and completing repairs. A scheduled window is not a guarantee that an unexpected fault will be repaired by the same time.

The distinction matters when reporting. If every nearby consumer is off at the published time, first check the planned schedule. If only your house or a small section is off, check the main breaker safely and ask whether there is an individual service issue. If the entire feeder is out outside the timetable, report it as an outage or fault and provide the feeder name.

How to find the current MEPCO schedule

Start at MEPCO’s official website rather than a search result, social-media post, or old screenshot. MEPCO’s Ease of Doing Business page lists load-shedding schedules and feeder-wise load-shedding schedules among its customer services. Its official shutdown/load-shedding page displays circle notices and dated schedule material. Open the page on the day you need the information and check the publication or memo date.

The schedule may be presented as a table, image, PDF, or notice. If it is an image, zoom in and look for the circle or division heading before searching for the feeder. A page may contain notices for Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Multan, Sahiwal, Vehari, D.G. Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, or other MEPCO circles. Do not assume the first table on the page applies to your location.

Record four things: the exact feeder spelling, the date of the notice, the start and end times, and whether the notice is for load-shedding, shutdown, maintenance, or a one-day programme. If the notice gives multiple windows, write them all down. If it is undated or the feeder is missing, treat it as a lead and confirm with MEPCO rather than presenting it as today’s timetable.

MEPCO’s website also describes a feeder-wise schedule system. Its published instructions explain that authorised circle staff log in, view feeder schedules, and add or change timings for individual feeders. That is useful context: the schedule is an operational record that can be updated, not a permanent annual calendar. Customers should use the public schedule or customer-service channel, not attempt to access an administrative login.

What to do when the schedule is unclear

Use the bill’s reference number and the complete service address when contacting MEPCO. Say the feeder name if you have it, but ask the officer to confirm it rather than assuming your spelling is correct. Mention the exact date and time of the interruption, whether neighbours are affected, and whether the outage is repeated or continuous.

MEPCO publishes a toll-free customer-service contact and complaint channels on its official website and telephone directory. The current telephone directory lists 118 or 0800-63726 for online complaints. Verify the number on the current MEPCO site or your bill before relying on it, because contact arrangements can change.

When a complaint is registered, keep the complaint number and ask whether it is classified as load-shedding, a feeder fault, a local transformer problem, or an individual service issue. A classification helps you follow up with the right office. Do not open repeated complaints every few minutes; use the original number unless the call centre instructs you otherwise.

Preparing for a planned outage

If a shutdown notice gives reasonable advance warning, protect appliances by switching off sensitive equipment and using a properly installed surge-protection arrangement. Keep a torch, charged phone, power bank, and basic lighting available. If you rely on a pump, fill an appropriate clean-water storage tank before the outage. Businesses should plan refrigeration, lifts, computer equipment, and customer communication around the stated window.

Never connect a generator or solar inverter to house wiring without a correctly installed changeover or isolation system. Back-feeding a line can kill a line worker and damage equipment. Use a qualified electrician and follow MEPCO’s safety requirements. Do not climb poles, move fuses, or try to restore a feeder yourself.

During hot weather, check the condition of batteries, fans, and backup equipment. Do not operate a generator indoors, in a garage, or near doors and windows because carbon monoxide can accumulate. A schedule is an operations notice, not permission to take electrical risks.

When timings do not match reality

Timing changes can happen when demand, generation, feeder loading, weather, or an emergency changes. If power returns late but the feeder is otherwise healthy, note the actual restoration time. If the outage starts early, lasts much longer, or repeats outside the notice, collect a short log for several days. Include date, start time, restoration time, feeder, and whether the whole street was affected.

Use the log to report a pattern, not just one frustration. Ask MEPCO whether there is a revised schedule, a maintenance order, or an unresolved fault. If the official page carries an old memo, mention its date and ask for the current notice. A screenshot should show the URL or page title and date where possible.

If voltage is low or fluctuating after supply returns, switch off equipment that may be damaged and report the voltage complaint separately. An outage complaint does not automatically describe a voltage problem. Similarly, a tripped main breaker inside the property is not the same as a feeder outage. An electrician can inspect the private installation; MEPCO handles the distribution-side issue.

Planned maintenance, shutdown, and crash work

MEPCO’s shutdown pages contain dated circle and division notices. A shutdown may be limited to a specific feeder, date, and working period. The notice can be relevant even when a general load-shedding page shows no interruption. Check both the load-shedding and shutdown/maintenance sections when planning an important event.

Crash maintenance is usually associated with urgent or corrective work rather than a routine load-shedding slot. MEPCO has published separate crash-maintenance programme pages and notices. Because those pages may contain historical documents, inspect the date carefully. A notice from last year should not be copied as today’s schedule.

For schools, clinics, shops, and offices, assign one person to check the official site and another to confirm the feeder with customer service before circulating timings. Write “published on [date]” on any internal notice. This small habit prevents a stale timetable from being treated as a guarantee.

How to report an unsafe condition

Stay away from fallen wires, sparking equipment, a leaning pole, or water around electrical equipment. Keep children and vehicles back and call the official complaint or emergency channel. Give the location, nearest landmark, feeder if known, and whether anyone is injured. Do not touch a person in contact with a live conductor until the supply is isolated by qualified personnel.

If a streetlight or distribution asset is damaged but supply is still on, report the danger even if the schedule is normal. A planned outage does not make a dangerous installation safe. Photograph only from a safe distance and never cross a barrier or enter a substation.

FAQs

Where can I find the MEPCO load-shedding schedule?

Use MEPCO’s official website and its load-shedding, feeder-wise schedule, and shutdown/maintenance pages. Check the circle, feeder, publication date, and type of notice. Confirm old or unclear notices with the relevant customer service office.

How do I find my MEPCO feeder?

Look at the consumer or supply details on your bill and ask the subdivision or customer service centre to confirm the feeder against your reference number. Do not infer it only from a nearby transformer or neighbour.

Why is my area off when the schedule says power should be on?

The feeder may have a fault, the schedule may have changed, or the interruption may be maintenance rather than load-shedding. Record the date and time and report the outage with your feeder and reference number.

Is the load-shedding schedule a guaranteed restoration time?

No. It is planned operational information. Faults, safety work, weather, and system conditions can change the interruption or restoration time.

What number can I use to report a MEPCO outage?

Check the current MEPCO website, bill, or telephone directory. MEPCO’s published directory lists 118 and 0800-63726 for online complaints, but verify current contact details before calling.

Is a shutdown notice the same as load-shedding?

No. A shutdown notice normally describes planned maintenance or other work; load-shedding is a system operating schedule. Both can interrupt a feeder and both should be checked for dates and times.

Editorial source notes

• MEPCO, Shutdown / Load Shedding Schedule, official dated notices and schedule material.
• MEPCO, Entry/Updation Procedure of Load Shedding Schedule, official explanation of feeder-wise schedule updates.
• MEPCO, Ease of Doing Business, official service page listing load-shedding and feeder-wise schedules.
• MEPCO, Crash Maintenance Schedule, official maintenance programme page; historical notices must be date-checked.
• MEPCO, Telephone Directory 2024, official directory listing complaint channels; recheck the current number before publication.
• MEPCO, Customer Services Improvement Plans, official statement that load-shedding schedules are updated online for customer information.