Detection bill
Definition. A detection bill is a retrospective charge raised by a DISCO when it concludes that a meter under-recorded consumption — through a fault, tampering, or a direct connection — and it estimates the units it believes were used but never billed.
Also called: Detection charges · Assessed bill · DB · ڈیٹیکشن بل
Where you see it: As a separate charge line, often abbreviated to 'DETECTION' or 'DET BILL', with a period covering several past months.
How the amount is arrived at
The DISCO takes a reference consumption — usually the same months in the previous year, or the connected load multiplied by an assumed daily running time — and bills the difference against what was actually recorded.
The assessment period is capped by NEPRA's consumer service manual. It cannot run indefinitely backwards; the limit depends on when the defect is held to have started and on whether the consumer was notified.
What must happen before it is valid
A detection bill is supposed to follow a documented inspection, with the consumer or their representative given the chance to be present, and a written notice served before the charge appears on a bill.
A detection charge that simply materialises on a bill with no prior notice and no inspection report is procedurally defective, and that is usually the strongest ground of challenge — stronger than arguing about the units themselves.
Challenging it
The first stop is the sub-divisional office for the inspection report and the calculation sheet. Ask for both in writing.
The formal forum is the Provincial Electric Inspector, who has statutory jurisdiction over metering and assessment disputes. NEPRA's complaint cell handles service and conduct matters; assessment quantum belongs with the Inspector.
Paying a detection bill 'under protest' preserves supply while the challenge runs. Note the protest on the payment record — it matters if a refund is later ordered.
Frequently asked questions
Can supply be cut for an unpaid detection bill while it is disputed?
Once a dispute is formally registered with the Electric Inspector, disconnection for that disputed amount is not supposed to proceed. Register the dispute in writing and keep the receiving stamp — a verbal complaint does not create that protection.
The meter was faulty through no fault of mine. Do I still owe detection charges?
Often yes, but at a reduced basis. A slow or stopped meter that the consumer did not interfere with is normally assessed on average past consumption rather than on a tampering formula, and no penalty multiple applies.
Related terms
- Arrears — How arrears accumulate on a Pakistani electricity bill, why they can appear on an account you have always paid, and the order in which a payment is applied against them.
- Average bill — Why your bill sometimes says AVG instead of showing a real reading, how the estimate is built, and how the correction lands on the following month.
- Meter reading — How to read a Pakistani electricity meter correctly, which digits to ignore, and how to check the reading printed on your bill against the device on your wall.
Go further
Back to the full 44-term glossary, or open your own bill with the reference number lookup.