Updated: July 2026
As of July 2026, the LESCO per unit price for home users ranges from about Rs 3.95 per unit for protected lifeline customers to roughly Rs 47.69 per unit for the heaviest non-protected users. These are the base energy rates set under NEPRA’s tariff decision effective 1 July 2025 and still in force through the 2025-26 cycle. Your actual rate depends on how many units you use, whether you count as a protected customer, and the monthly fuel adjustment. Base rates do not include taxes and surcharges, so the amount you really pay per unit on your bill is higher.
If you just want to see this month’s charges, you can check your LESCO bill online in about a minute. This guide explains what sits behind that number: the slab rates, the extra charges, and why the total keeps moving. When it is time to clear the amount, our LESCO bill payment online guide walks you through every method.
One thing to know first. LESCO does not charge a single flat rate for every unit. It uses a step-up slab system, so different chunks of your usage are billed at different rates. That is why the “lesco unit rate today” is really a set of rates, not one number.
LESCO Electricity Rates 2026
The table below shows the residential base rates under the current NEPRA tariff. Protected customers get heavily subsidised rates. Non-protected rates rise with usage. The non-protected figures are approximate bands drawn from published tariff data, so confirm the exact figure on your latest bill.
| Monthly units | Protected rate (Rs/unit) | Non-protected rate (Rs/unit, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 50 (lifeline) | 3.95 | — |
| 51 to 100 | 7.74 | around 23 to 27 |
| 101 to 200 | 9.82 | around 30 |
| 201 to 300 | not eligible | around 34 |
| 301 to 400 | not eligible | around 39 |
| 401 to 500 | not eligible | around 41 |
| 501 to 600 | not eligible | around 43 |
| 601 to 700 | not eligible | around 44 |
| Above 700 | not eligible | up to 47.69 |
A few points that trip people up:
Protected status is not permanent. To stay protected, your average use over the last six months must stay at or below 200 units, and you cannot have an AC registered on the meter or a sanctioned load above 5 kW. Cross 200 units in a month and you move to non-protected rates for that cycle.
These are base energy rates only. The number printed as the cost of electricity on your bill already blends your slabs, but the final per-unit cost you feel is higher once taxes and adjustments are added.
Rates can change. NEPRA reviews tariffs and issues notifications through the year. If your bill shows a rate that differs from this table, your bill is the correct source.
How to Calculate Your LESCO Bill from Units
Here is the step-by-step method LESCO uses. You can follow the same steps as a rough LESCO bill calculator at home.
- Find your units used this month. It is on the bill as “Units Consumed.”
- Split those units across the slabs, starting from the lowest band.
- Multiply each chunk by that slab’s rate and add the results. This is your base energy cost.
- Add the fuel price adjustment (FPA) for the month, charged per unit.
- Add the quarterly tariff adjustment if one applies that month.
- Add electricity duty and GST on the energy amount.
- Add fixed items: the TV licence fee and meter rent where they apply.
- The total is your payable amount before any late surcharge.
Worked example for 300 units (approximate)
Say you are a non-protected home user with 300 units in July. The rates here are rounded for a rough estimate, so treat the total as approximate and confirm the exact figure on your latest bill.
- First 100 units at about Rs 24 = Rs 2,400
- Next 100 units at about Rs 30 = Rs 3,000
- Next 100 units at about Rs 34 = Rs 3,400
- Base energy cost = about Rs 8,800
Now the extras, roughly:
- FPA at about Rs 3.4 per unit x 300 = about Rs 1,020
- Electricity duty (around 1.5 percent of the energy cost) = about Rs 130
- GST at 18 percent on the energy portion = about Rs 1,580
- TV fee = Rs 35
That lands near Rs 11,500 for the month. The real figure depends on the exact slab rates on your bill, that month’s FPA, and any quarterly adjustment. Use this only to sanity-check your bill, not as the precise amount.
This is also why two neighbours with the same units can pay different totals. One may be protected and the other not, or one may sit just over a slab boundary.
Extra Charges on Your Bill
The energy cost is only part of the story. These line items are added on top, and together they can be a big share of the total.
Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA). This reflects the actual cost of fuel used to generate power, and it changes every month. In 2026 it has sat around Rs 3.41 per unit in some months, but it can be higher or lower, and occasionally it is a credit. FPA is the single biggest reason your bill swings from month to month.
Quarterly Tariff Adjustment (QTA). Every few months NEPRA passes on capacity and other costs through a per-unit adjustment. It shows as a separate line and applies for a set number of months.
Electricity Duty. A provincial charge, usually a small percentage of your energy cost.
GST. General sales tax, charged at 18 percent on the electricity amount. On a mid-sized bill this alone can be over a thousand rupees.
TV Licence Fee. A flat monthly fee (commonly Rs 35 for homes) collected on behalf of PTV.
Meter Rent and Other Fixed Charges. A small rent for the meter, plus any fixed charges that apply to your tariff or sanctioned load.
Because these ride on top of your units, cutting usage lowers both the energy cost and the taxes calculated on it. You save twice.
Why Did My LESCO Bill Increase This Month?
If nothing changed at home but the bill jumped, one of these is usually the reason.
The FPA went up. A higher fuel adjustment adds to every single unit. Even with the same usage, a swing in FPA can move your bill by hundreds or thousands of rupees.
You crossed a slab. Slabs are unforgiving near the top. If you were protected and slipped over 200 units, or you pushed from one non-protected band into a higher one, the extra units cost much more. In peak summer, an AC running a few extra hours a day is often the cause.
A quarterly adjustment kicked in. A new QTA can appear on your bill and stay for several months.
Peak-hour usage (TOU meters). If you have a Time of Use meter, running heavy appliances in the evening peak costs more per unit than the same use off-peak.
An estimated or delayed reading. Sometimes a bill catches up after an estimated month, so one bill looks unusually high. Compare your “Units Consumed” against last month to spot this.
To break the bill down for any month, open the check any bijli bill online tool and compare the units and the FPA line side by side.
LESCO Peak and Off-Peak Timings (TOU Meters)
Time of Use (TOU) meters charge you by when you use power, not just how much. They are common on three-phase connections, and homes with a sanctioned load below 5 kW can opt in.
Peak hours are usually 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, when demand across Lahore is highest. Off-peak is the rest of the day. Under one 2026 rate structure, the peak rate was about Rs 37.89 per unit and the off-peak rate about Rs 32.33 per unit. Confirm your own peak and off-peak rates on your bill, since they change with tariff updates.
The takeaway is simple. On a TOU meter, shifting heavy jobs out of the evening peak saves real money for the exact same usage.
7 Ways to Lower Your LESCO Bill
You cannot control the tariff, but you can control your units and when you use them. These steps make a real dent.
- Watch your slab boundary. If you are near 200 units and want to keep protected status, or near a band edge, trimming a few units late in the month can save a lot on the priciest units.
- Run heavy loads off-peak. If you have a TOU meter, move the washing machine, water pump and iron to off-peak hours instead of 6 to 10 PM.
- Set the AC to 26°C. Every degree lower pulls more units. 26°C with a fan feels comfortable and uses far less than 20°C.
- Service the AC and clean the filters. A choked filter makes the compressor work harder and burn extra units for the same cooling.
- Switch to LED and unplug standby loads. Old bulbs, and gadgets left on standby, quietly add units all month.
- Remember the FPA is per unit. You cannot change the rate, but knowing it applies to every unit is a reminder that cutting units cuts the FPA charge too.
- Consider solar net metering. If your bills are consistently high, a net-metered solar system can offset daytime usage and export surplus back to LESCO. It is a bigger upfront cost, but it changes the maths for heavy users.
Small habits add up. Shaving 40 to 50 units a month can move you into a cheaper band and lower the taxes charged on top.
FAQs
What is the LESCO per unit price in 2026?
In July 2026, protected home users start at about Rs 3.95 per unit for the first 50 units, rising through Rs 7.74 and Rs 9.82 for higher slabs. Non-protected users pay roughly Rs 23 to Rs 47.69 per unit depending on usage. These are base rates before taxes and FPA, so your effective rate is higher.
What is the difference between protected and non-protected rates?
Protected customers get subsidised rates but must average 200 units or fewer over six months, with no registered AC and a load under 5 kW. Non-protected customers are everyone else, and they pay higher per-unit rates that climb with usage. Cross 200 units in a month and you lose protection for that cycle.
Why is my lesco unit rate today higher than the base slab rate?
Because the base slab rate is only the energy cost. Your bill also adds the monthly FPA, any quarterly adjustment, electricity duty, 18 percent GST, and small fixed fees. Together these push the amount you actually pay per unit well above the slab rate.
How do I calculate my LESCO bill from units?
Split your units across the slabs, multiply each chunk by its rate, and add them for the base cost. Then add FPA, duty, GST and fixed fees. The worked 300-unit example above shows the full method, though the exact total depends on that month’s rates.
Does the FPA change every month?
Yes. The fuel price adjustment is recalculated monthly and can rise, fall, or even be a small credit. It is charged per unit, so it is the most common reason a bill changes when your usage did not.
Can I reduce my bill by switching to a TOU meter?
Possibly, if you can shift heavy usage out of the 6 to 10 PM peak. Off-peak rates are lower, so a household that runs the pump, washing and cooling during off-peak hours can save. If most of your load is unavoidably in the evening, a TOU meter may not help.
Related tariff guides
Rates and charges in this guide reflect NEPRA’s tariff decision effective 1 July 2025 and figures reported through mid-2026. Bijli ki qeemat changes with each NEPRA notification, so always treat your latest LESCO bill as the final word.