Reference number
Definition. The reference number is the 10-to-14-digit code printed at the top of a Pakistani electricity bill that identifies your meter to the billing system, and it is the only thing you need to retrieve a duplicate copy of that bill.
Also called: Consumer reference · Ref No · Consumer number · ریفرنس نمبر
Where you see it: Top-left block of every PITC bill, directly under the company name, usually in the largest monospaced type on the page.
What the digits mean
The number is not random. Reading left to right it encodes the circle, the division, the sub-division, the feeder and finally your position on that feeder — which is why two neighbours on the same pole share the first eight or nine digits and differ only at the end.
Most DISCOs print 14 digits. A few older MEPCO and PESCO accounts still carry 13, and some HESCO records show 10. All of them are valid; the lookup pads or trims internally, so type what is printed rather than adding zeros yourself.
The check digit trap
On several DISCOs the final digit is a check digit that is recalculated when the account is amended — after a name transfer, a meter replacement, or a tariff category change. The rest of the number stays identical.
If a reference that worked last year returns nothing today and you have had any of those events on the account, the check digit is the first thing to suspect. The current number is printed on the most recent paper bill and is also held by your sub-division office against your address.
Reference number versus meter number
The meter number is stamped on the meter body by its manufacturer and identifies the physical device. The reference number identifies the billing account. Replace the meter and the meter number changes while the reference usually does not.
Billing systems will not accept a meter number in place of a reference number, which is the single most common reason a lookup fails for someone standing in front of their own meter.
Frequently asked questions
I have never received a paper bill. How do I find my reference number?
Ask a neighbour on the same pole for their reference number — yours will share the first eight to ten digits — then take your CNIC and address to the sub-divisional office, which can search by address and print the account. There is no online search by name or address on the PITC portal.
Does the reference number change if I move house?
Yes. The reference is tied to the meter, not to you. Moving means a different meter and therefore a different reference, and the outgoing occupant's arrears stay attached to the old number.
Related terms
- 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.
- Billing month — Why a bill labelled July mostly covers June usage, how the offset changes what tariff applies, and what that means when you compare two bills.
- Tariff code — Decoding A-1, A-1a, A-2, B-1, C-1 and D-1 on a Pakistani electricity bill, and what happens when your connection sits in the wrong category.
Go further
Back to the full 44-term glossary, or open your own bill with the reference number lookup.