Sanctioned load
Definition. Sanctioned load is the maximum power a DISCO has formally approved you to draw, recorded on the connection agreement, and drawing beyond it can attract penalties or a requirement to upgrade the service.
Also called: Approved load · Contracted load · Sanctioned demand
Where you see it: In the account header on commercial and industrial bills, and on the original connection agreement for domestic accounts.
It is a contract, not a fuse
Sanctioned load is the figure the network was planned around — the transformer capacity, the service cable size and the metering arrangement all follow from it.
Exceeding it is not blocked by the meter. It shows up either as a recorded demand above the sanction, or as an inspection finding.
Both directions cost or save
Where fixed or demand charges are levied per kilowatt, a sanction larger than you need is a standing monthly cost. Reducing it is a formal application with an inspection, and the saving continues indefinitely.
Where you have quietly grown past it, an extension of load application is cheaper than being assessed for unauthorised load during an inspection, and it is a precondition for a legitimate net-metering application.
Net metering ties to it
NEPRA's net-metering regime caps the solar system size against the sanctioned load of the connection. A household wanting a larger array frequently has to extend its sanction first.
That application is the step most commonly missed by consumers who assume the inverter size is the only constraint.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find out my sanctioned load?
It is on the connection agreement and in the account record at the sub-divisional office. Commercial and industrial bills print it; small domestic bills often do not.
Is there a penalty for exceeding sanctioned load?
On demand-metered tariffs, demand recorded above the sanction is charged at a penal rate. On other categories it surfaces during inspection as unauthorised extension of load.
Related terms
- Connected load — How a DISCO arrives at the connected load written on your bill, why it is always larger than what you actually draw, and when an out-of-date figure costs you money.
- Maximum demand indicator — Why commercial and industrial bills charge for a single half hour of the month, how MDI is measured, and the practical ways to bring the recorded peak down.
- Fixed charges — Why some Pakistani bills carry a charge before a single unit is used, which categories pay it per kilowatt, and how it interacts with sanctioned load.
- Net metering — How net metering settlement actually works in Pakistan, the difference between netting units and netting rupees, and what the licence application involves.
Go further
Back to the full 44-term glossary, or open your own bill with the reference number lookup.