Updated: July 2026
The QESCO per unit price in 2026 ranges from Rs 10.54 per unit for protected homes using up to 100 units, rising in steps to Rs 47.69 per unit for non-protected homes that cross 700 units a month. These rates took effect on 1 July 2025 under NEPRA’s tariff rebasing decision for the 2025-26 financial year, and they still apply in July 2026. Fuel Price Adjustment, quarterly tariff adjustment, and taxes are added on top, so the final rate you pay per unit is usually higher than the base slab rate.
QESCO (Quetta Electric Supply Company) uses the same NEPRA-approved slab rates as every other government distribution company in Pakistan. What changes your final bill is how many units you burn, whether you count as a protected consumer, and the fuel and tax charges added each month. If you just want to see your latest amount, you can check your QESCO bill online and download a duplicate in under a minute.
This guide breaks down the current qesco tariff 2026, shows you how to work out your bill from units, and lists real ways to bring the cost down. When your bill is ready to clear, our QESCO bill payment online guide walks through JazzCash, Easypaisa, and bank apps step by step.
QESCO Electricity Rates 2026
Here are the residential slab rates that apply to QESCO from 1 July 2025 through June 2026. Protected consumers get a heavily subsidised rate. You count as protected only if you stay at or below 200 units every month, have no air conditioner registered on the meter, and a sanctioned load under 5kW. Cross 200 units in any single month and you drop to the non-protected column for that bill.
| Monthly Units | Protected Rate (Rs/unit) | Non-Protected Rate (Rs/unit) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – 100 | 10.54 | 23.59 |
| 101 – 200 | 13.01 | 30.07 |
| 201 – 300 | — | 33.10 |
| 301 – 400 | — | 37.99 |
| 401 – 500 | — | 40.20 |
| 501 – 600 | — | 41.62 |
| 601 – 700 | — | 42.76 |
| Above 700 | — | 47.69 |
Lifeline consumers who use very little get an even lower bijli ki qeemat: around Rs 3.95 per unit for up to 50 units, and Rs 7.74 per unit for 51 to 100 units. These are the base energy rates only. They do not include Fuel Price Adjustment or taxes.
The national average base tariff for 2025-26 works out to about Rs 31.59 per unit, slightly down from Rs 32.73 the year before. Rates can shift when NEPRA issues a fresh notification, so always confirm the exact figure on your latest bill.
For nearby regions, see our SEPCO per unit price 2026 and TESCO per unit price 2026 guides, since the slab structure is shared across all DISCOs.
How to Calculate Your QESCO Bill from Units
Your bill is built slab by slab, not at one flat rate. That trips a lot of people up. Here is the simple method, and it doubles as a manual qesco bill calculator.
- Find your units consumed on the bill. This is the difference between your current and previous meter reading.
- Decide if you are protected or non-protected this month. Over 200 units means non-protected.
- Apply the slab rate to each band of units, not to the whole amount at once.
- Add up the energy charge from every band.
- Add Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA) at the per-unit rate shown on your bill.
- Add fixed charges, electricity duty, GST, and the PTV fee.
- That total is your current bill before any arrears or late surcharge.
Worked Example: 300 Units (Approximate)
Say you are a non-protected home that used 300 units this month. Because you crossed 200 units, the non-protected rates apply. The energy charge stacks up like this:
- First 100 units at Rs 23.59 = Rs 2,359
- Next 100 units (101–200) at Rs 30.07 = Rs 3,007
- Next 100 units (201–300) at Rs 33.10 = Rs 3,310
- Energy charge subtotal = Rs 8,676
Now add the rough extras. FPA at, say, Rs 3 per unit across 300 units adds about Rs 900. Electricity duty is roughly 1.5% of the energy charge, near Rs 130. GST at 17% on the energy charge plus FPA and duty adds close to Rs 1,650. Add the Rs 35 PTV fee. That brings the estimate to around Rs 11,400.
This is an approximate figure only. Your real FPA and quarterly adjustment change every month, so treat this as a ballpark and confirm the exact figure on your latest bill.
Extra Charges on Your Bill
The slab rate is only the start. These extra lines are why your qesco unit rate today feels higher than the table above.
Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA). This tracks the real cost of fuel used to generate power, usually with a two to three month lag. It can be a charge some months and a small refund in others. It swings a lot.
Quarterly Tariff Adjustment (QTR Adj). Every three months NEPRA settles a backlog of costs, like capacity payments, and recovers it from consumers. It can add a noticeable amount in the month it lands.
Electricity Duty. A provincial charge, usually around 1.5% of your energy cost.
GST. General Sales Tax at 17%, applied on the energy charge plus FPA, duty, and adjustments combined.
PTV Fee. A fixed Rs 35 television licence fee collected through the bill.
Fixed and meter charges. Most homes pay a small fixed monthly charge, and higher-usage homes above 300 units also pay a capacity-based fixed charge per kW of sanctioned load. The exact fixed amounts are printed on your bill, so confirm them there.
Why Did My QESCO Bill Increase This Month?
If your usage barely changed but the bill jumped, one of these is usually the reason.
FPA swings. A higher Fuel Price Adjustment can add several rupees per unit in a single month, then drop again the next.
You crossed a slab boundary. Going from 200 to 201 units flips you from protected to non-protected. Your whole bill is then charged at the higher rates, so a few extra units can cost a lot more than they look.
Quarterly adjustment landed. Once a quarter the backlog charge shows up as a one-off line that lifts the total.
More peak-hour usage. If you have a Time of Use meter, running heavy appliances in the evening peak window costs more per unit. See the payment side of this in our QESCO bill payment online guide if a big bill is due soon.
QESCO Peak and Off-Peak Timings
Homes with a Time of Use (TOU) meter are billed at two rates: a higher peak rate and a lower off-peak rate. Most ordinary domestic meters are not on TOU, but if yours is, the timing matters.
QESCO peak hours run from 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM during April to October, and from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM during November to March. Everything outside that window is off-peak. Confirm the exact peak and off-peak per-unit rates on your latest bill, since TOU figures are set separately from the standard slabs.
The takeaway is simple. Shift your heavy loads, like the washing machine, iron, and water motor, out of the evening peak window and you pay the cheaper off-peak rate.
7 Ways to Lower Your QESCO Bill
You cannot change the tariff, but you can change how many units land in each slab.
- Stay under the 200-unit line if you can. Protected rates are less than half the non-protected ones. If you are close, trimming a few units keeps you in the cheaper column all month.
- Shift heavy loads to off-peak hours. Run the iron, washing machine, and water pump before 6 PM or after 10 PM if you are on a TOU meter.
- Set the AC to 26°C. Every degree lower burns noticeably more units. 26 stays comfortable and cuts the load.
- Watch the slab boundary near month-end. If you are about to cross into a higher band, delaying non-urgent use by a day or two can keep those units in the cheaper slab.
- Switch to LED and unplug idle devices. Standby draw from chargers, TVs, and set-top boxes adds up over a month.
- Service your AC and fridge. Dirty filters and old coils make them pull more units for the same cooling.
- Consider solar net metering. If your usage is high and sits in the top slabs, a net-metered solar system can cut your billed units sharply. It is a bigger upfront cost but pays back over time.
FAQs
What is the QESCO per unit price in 2026?
Protected homes pay Rs 10.54 per unit up to 100 units and Rs 13.01 for 101 to 200 units. Non-protected homes pay from Rs 23.59 up to Rs 47.69 per unit depending on the slab, effective 1 July 2025. FPA and taxes are added on top.
What is the difference between protected and non-protected QESCO consumers?
Protected means you use 200 units or fewer every month, have no AC on the meter, and a load under 5kW. You get a big subsidy. Cross 200 units in any month and you become non-protected for that bill, at more than double the rate.
How is 1 unit of bijli priced by QESCO?
One unit is one kilowatt-hour. Its price depends on your slab. It can be as low as Rs 3.95 for a lifeline user or Rs 47.69 for a heavy non-protected user, before FPA and taxes.
Why is my QESCO bill higher than the slab rate suggests?
Because FPA, quarterly adjustment, electricity duty, 17% GST, the Rs 35 PTV fee, and fixed charges are all added to the base energy cost. These extras can lift your effective per-unit cost well above the slab figure.
Does QESCO charge peak-hour rates?
Only homes with a Time of Use meter pay separate peak and off-peak rates. Peak hours are 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM in summer and 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM in winter. Standard meters are billed on the normal slabs.
Where can I check my exact QESCO rate and bill?
Your latest bill shows your exact slab, FPA, and total. You can check any bijli bill online on our homepage, or download a QESCO duplicate bill from our QESCO bill guide.