MEPCO Detection Bills and Electricity Theft Notices: What Consumers Should Know

A MEPCO detection bill is not an ordinary monthly bill. It is an assessment raised when the distribution company alleges that electricity was illegally abstracted, consumed, or under-recorded, or when a meter problem requires an assessment under the applicable procedure. It may cover a past period rather than one month’s recorded units.

Receiving one is serious, but “detection” is not by itself proof that a customer committed theft. Read the notice, preserve evidence, and use official complaint and appeal channels. This guide is practical information, not a legal opinion; the Electricity Act, NEPRA Consumer Service Manual, MEPCO procedure, and later notifications control a particular case.

What a detection bill is

An ordinary bill charges for the units recorded during a billing cycle under the customer’s tariff. A detection or assessment bill is connected to a finding, investigation, or technical assessment about earlier consumption. MEPCO’s published FAQ describes detection billing in connection with illegal abstraction or consumption, direct hooking, and meter slowness.

The reason matters. A notice alleging direct hooking is different from an assessment based on a slow meter, defective meter, broken seal, or suspected bypass. The remedy and evidence may differ too. Before responding, identify the exact allegation printed on the notice or inspection report.

Detection billing is also different from a normal estimated or defective-meter bill. MEPCO’s FAQ says that a defective meter may lead to an assessment based on the same month of the previous year and should be replaced or checked. A detection bill involves the detection procedure and should not be treated as an unexplained “average bill.”

Common reasons a consumer may receive one

Possible situations include:

• Illegal abstraction or bypass: Electricity is alleged to have been taken around the meter or through an artificial means.
• Direct hooking or an unregistered connection: A supply line is allegedly connected without the distribution company’s written consent.
• Meter tampering: A seal, terminal cover, body, display, wiring, polarity, or internal component is alleged to have been interfered with.
• A slow meter: Testing indicates that the meter recorded less energy than it should have under the applicable procedure.
• A technical or billing discrepancy: The company investigates an unusual reading, missing record, or other condition and prepares an assessment.

These are not interchangeable accusations. A broken seal may require an inspection and evidence review; it does not automatically establish who caused the condition or the amount of energy allegedly lost. A slow meter needs technical testing and a defensible method for estimating the unrecorded consumption.

What the official procedure says about evidence

The Consumer Service Manual published through MEPCO states that, for evidence of theft, photos and/or videos should be recorded for presentation before the competent forum. The manual also lists physical indications that can lead to further investigation, including a broken or bogus seal, a missing terminal cover, holes in the meter body, a meter running in reverse, damaged components, a broken neutral, or chemical interference.

An indication is a reason to investigate, not a substitute for an investigation. Ask for the inspection or meter-test report, photographs or videos relied upon, meter number, inspection date, and assessment period. If present, record officials’ names and designations and any remarks on the inspection document.

Do not touch, clean, repair, or replace a disputed meter without an official record. If there is immediate danger, move people away and call MEPCO; photograph the condition safely and keep the original files with their dates.

Notice before a detection bill

The MEPCO-hosted policy on detection bills says that a notice prescribed in its procedure is to be served before a detection bill is served in an energy-theft case. The notice gives the consumer an opportunity to know the allegation and respond under the applicable process.

Check whether the notice includes the consumer reference number, meter number, premises, alleged condition, inspection date, relevant law or procedure, assessed period, units or amount, and the response or hearing instructions. A document that belongs to a different meter or premises should be reported immediately.

Keep the envelope, delivery message, photographs, and any acknowledgment. Write down when you received it. Deadlines can be short and may run from service of the notice, so do not wait for a verbal promise that “the office will fix it later.”

How a detection assessment may be calculated

The Consumer Service Manual gives a priority order for a detection bill for a registered consumer. It first refers to previous consumption or billing history. If no credible previous consumption is available, it refers to future undisputed consumption. If neither is available, it describes a unit calculation based on load, load factor, 730 hours per month, and the number of months charged:

Detection units = Load × Load factor × 730 × Months

The manual also says that units already charged through routine billing during the detection period are to be adjusted. The formula is not permission to multiply any convenient load by an arbitrary number. The connected or sanctioned load used, load factor, months, prior billing, and evidence must all be identified and supported under the applicable procedure.

For a direct-hooking or unregistered-connection allegation, the WAPDA policy hosted by MEPCO describes assessment for the energy allegedly abstracted and refers to the relevant Electricity Act provisions. The legal route can include criminal or other proceedings in addition to a bill. Consumers should take a suspected theft notice seriously and obtain qualified legal advice when the document threatens prosecution or a major liability.

Meter slowness and defective meters

A low bill followed by a large assessment does not prove that a meter was slow. The meter’s technical condition needs to be tested under the relevant process. MEPCO’s FAQ states that slowness is to be checked through a test meter or suitable testing equipment and that the amount and duration may be assessed using the check-meter result, consumption pattern, sanctioned load, or another appropriate method.

Ask for the test date, test method, test result, meter condition, witnesses or officials present, and the calculation period. Compare the assessment with actual historical consumption, seasonal use, photographs, and any meter-reading record. If the meter was inaccessible, estimated, replaced, or damaged by an external event, preserve evidence of that fact.

NEPRA’s public orders include action concerning detection bills charged on account of meter slowness for more than two billing cycles, including an April 2025 order concerning MEPCO. That does not decide every consumer’s case, but it shows why the timing and procedure for a slowness assessment should be checked rather than accepted without question.

What to do on the day you receive the notice

Create a case file immediately:

1. Scan or photograph every page of the notice and detection bill.
2. Note the date of service, due date, reference number, meter number, and premises.
3. Photograph the meter, seals, display, and connection from a safe position.
4. Gather the previous 12 months of bills and payment receipts.
5. Record meter-reading dates, estimated readings, meter replacement, and any outage or construction work.
6. Write a short timeline of what happened and who inspected the connection.
7. List the exact documents or calculations you want MEPCO to provide.

If the notice is for a rented property, give the owner or landlord a copy but do not sign a statement admitting an allegation you do not understand. If you purchased the property recently, collect the transfer, possession, and meter-reading evidence. Responsibility for a disputed condition may depend on facts that are not visible from the current bill.

How to challenge an incorrect detection bill

Submit a written objection to the relevant MEPCO customer service office or competent officer named in the notice. Ask for a receipt or diary number. State whether you dispute the allegation, the meter test, the calculation, the period, the identity of the consumer, or all of these. Attach copies—not irreplaceable originals—of bills, receipts, photographs, inspection papers, and proof of occupancy.

Ask for a meter test or re-test where the dispute concerns slowness or tampering, and request the report in writing. Ask MEPCO to explain the load, load factor, months, prior units, routine-billed units, tariff, and adjustment used in the assessment. A calculation that cannot be reproduced from the supplied inputs is difficult to verify.

Register the matter in the PITC Customer Complaint Management System if it is a billing or service complaint, and keep the reference number. If the company does not resolve the issue, use the applicable NEPRA consumer complaint or appellate route. Include the MEPCO complaint record, disputed bill, notice, inspection and test reports, payment proof, and the remedy requested.

Because a detection case can involve criminal allegations or disconnection, consult a qualified Pakistani lawyer when the notice cites prosecution, an FIR, a large assessment, or a hearing before a formal authority. A lawyer can advise on statements, limitation, evidence, and the correct forum.

Payment, disconnection, and unofficial intermediaries

Filing a complaint does not automatically suspend the due date, late-payment rules, or disconnection process. Ask MEPCO in writing what amount is undisputed, whether a deposit or interim payment is required, and what arrangement applies while the objection is pending. Keep every official receipt. Do not pay an unofficial agent to remove the bill, sign blank papers, hand over originals, or allow meter removal without an official inventory and receipt.

If there is an immediate danger from exposed wiring, fire, or a damaged installation, keep people away and contact MEPCO and emergency services as appropriate. Safety and evidence preservation should be handled together; never attempt to reconnect a suspected direct hook yourself.

How to avoid a preventable dispute

Keep the meter area accessible and visible; do not let an unapproved electrician alter the meter or service wires. When a meter is changed, record old and new meter numbers, readings, seal details, and the official work order. Read the bill monthly, compare units with the meter, watch for “detection,” “defective,” or “estimated” remarks, and retain official payment receipts. For a rented property, record readings at move-in and move-out. These habits create a dated record for challenging an incorrect inspection.

Frequently asked questions

Is every unusually high MEPCO bill a detection bill?

No. A high ordinary bill can result from actual usage, a longer reading period, an estimated reading followed by an actual reading, tariff changes, adjustments, arrears, or a late-payment charge. Check the bill status and notice wording.

Does a detection bill prove that I stole electricity?

No. It is an assessment connected to an allegation or detected condition. The evidence, procedure, response, and competent forum matter. Do not ignore it, but do not treat the label alone as a final finding.

Can MEPCO issue a detection bill for a slow meter?

The published MEPCO material describes detection billing for meter slowness after technical or mechanical testing and sets out methods for assessing units. Ask for the test report, calculation, and period.

What if the meter seal was already damaged when I moved in?

Collect the tenancy or purchase documents, move-in reading and photographs, prior bills, and any notice or handover record. State the timeline in your written objection and ask MEPCO to investigate who occupied the premises during the relevant period.

Should I pay a detection bill while disputing it?

Do not guess. Ask MEPCO in writing what portion is undisputed, whether payment or security is required to avoid disconnection, and how the dispute affects the due date. Keep receipts and obtain qualified legal advice for a major or criminally framed case.

Where can I file a complaint?

Start with the MEPCO office or customer service channel named in the notice, then register a billing complaint through PITC and retain the complaint number. If unresolved, use the applicable NEPRA consumer complaint or appeal process with the complete record.

Editorial source notes

• MEPCO, Policy and Procedures on Detection Bills: https://www.mepco.com.pk/sites/default/files/mepco-docs/policyproceduresdetect.pdf
• MEPCO-hosted Consumer Service Manual, January 2021 with clarification, detection billing and evidence provisions: https://mepco.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/7.1.2-Consumer-Service-Manual-January-2021-with-clarification.pdf
• MEPCO FAQ, detection bills, meter slowness, and defective readings: https://mepco.com.pk/faq
• NEPRA Orders of the Authority, including 10 April 2025 MEPCO slowness-related order: https://nepra.org.pk/M%26E/Orders%20of%20the%20Authority.php
• MEPCO procedure and policies page: https://mepco.com.pk/services/procedure-policies
• PITC Customer Complaint Management System: https://ccms.pitc.com.pk/complaint
• NEPRA Consumer Affairs / complaint system: https://nepra.org.pk/CAD-Database/CMS-CAD/home.php