MEPCO Load Shedding Schedule 2026 — Updated Timings, Feeder Types, Bill Impact
You just got your electricity bill. It is Rs. 4,000 higher than last month and you are sure you used less electricity. But you ran the washing machine every evening. And the iron. And the water pump — all after 6PM. That is the peak hours problem. And once you understand it, you can stop paying for it.
What Is MEPCO Load Shedding and Why Does It Happen?
Peak hours and load shedding are two different things that come from the same root cause: Pakistan generates less electricity than its population demands. When demand exceeds supply, the grid operator must either cut supply to certain areas (load shedding) or charge higher rates during peak demand periods to discourage simultaneous heavy usage (peak hours pricing).
MEPCO serves South Punjab — a region with extreme summer temperatures where 30 million consumers all switch on their air conditioners in the same 6-hour window every evening. The national grid cannot supply all of this demand simultaneously at flat rates. Peak hour pricing and load shedding are the grid’s two mechanisms for managing this imbalance.
The Most Important Thing Most People Get Wrong
Most people think peak hours only matter for commercial electricity users. Wrong. Peak hours affect every residential consumer in South Punjab — including protected consumers under 200 units. Your peak hour usage counts toward your monthly total exactly the same as off-peak usage. But the timing of when you pay has shifted under 2026 regulations.
The real impact of peak hours on a South Punjab household is not a separate tariff surcharge. It is the contribution of evening appliance usage to crossing the 200-unit protected consumer threshold. A family that runs their AC, washing machine, iron, water pump, and water heater simultaneously between 7PM and 10PM three times a week contributes approximately 60 extra units per month to their total — enough to push a 175-unit household into the unprotected 240-unit category. That crossing is worth Rs. 4,000–8,000 extra on the bill.
How to Check Your MEPCO Load Shedding Schedule — Step by Step
Step 1 — Get Your 14-Digit Reference Number
Your reference number is printed at the top of your MEPCO bill near your consumer name. It is exactly 14 digits. You can also find it on a label on your physical electricity meter.
Step 2 — Visit the CCMS Portal
Go to ccms.pitc.com.pk. Enter your reference number. Navigate to the load shedding or feeder information section. Your feeder name will be listed — note it down. Your local MEPCO subdivision has the scheduled load shedding timings for each feeder. Call 118 and provide your feeder name — they will give you the current schedule.
Step 3 — If the Portal Is Inaccessible
During heavy load shedding, the CCMS portal often goes down along with internet access. Call 118 directly and say: “I need the load shedding schedule for feeder [your feeder name] in [your area].” The operator reads the schedule from their system.
Other Methods
SMS method: Send MEPCO [space] FEEDER [space] your reference number to 8118. You receive the current scheduled timings for your area. WhatsApp groups for your neighbourhood often carry real-time updates on actual load shedding — these are faster than official sources for unplanned outages.
Why Some Areas Get More Load Shedding Than Others
Low-Loss Feeders
Feeders with high bill recovery rates (consumers paying their bills consistently) and low technical losses receive less load shedding. Urban commercial areas in Multan city, Bahawalpur city, and major tehsil headquarters typically fall into this category. These areas may receive as little as 2–4 hours of daily load shedding even in peak summer.
High-Loss Feeders
Feeders with low recovery rates or high line losses receive more load shedding — sometimes 12–18 hours per day in peak summer. Most rural feeders in DG Khan, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, and remote Bahawalnagar fall into this category. This creates the cruel paradox of South Punjab’s rural poor: those least able to afford electricity pay the same rates as urban consumers while having access to electricity for only 6–8 hours per day.
Planned vs Unplanned Outages — How to Tell the Difference
| Type | What it is | Duration | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planned load shedding | Scheduled supply cuts following a published feeder rotation | Fixed hours in your schedule | Plan appliance usage around the schedule |
| Unplanned outage | Fault on your feeder, transformer failure, or grid emergency | Unknown — until repair is complete | Call 118 immediately and report |
| Voltage fluctuation | Low voltage from overloaded feeder — appliances run but damaged over time | Continuous during peak hours | Use voltage stabilisers on sensitive equipment |
| Grid emergency | National grid frequency event — widespread simultaneous cut | Usually 30 minutes to 2 hours | Wait — nothing to report, system-level event |
If your power is out and you are not sure which type it is: check with a neighbour. If they also have no power, it is likely a planned or unplanned feeder event — call 118. If only your house is affected, it is likely your own breaker, wiring, or meter.
MEPCO Load Shedding by Circle — General Patterns in 2026
| Division | 2026 Urban Daily LS | 2026 Rural Daily LS | Worst months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multan city | 4–6 hours | 8–10 hours | June–August |
| Bahawalpur city | 4–6 hours | 10–12 hours | May–September |
| DG Khan city | 6–8 hours | 12–16 hours | June–September |
| Sahiwal city | 2–4 hours | 6–8 hours | June–August |
| RYK city | 4–6 hours | 10–14 hours | May–September |
| Rajanpur / Rojhan | 8–10 hours | 14–18 hours | April–September |
| Muzaffargarh rural | 8–12 hours | 12–16 hours | May–September |
| Layyah / Chaubara | 6–8 hours | 12–16 hours | May–September |
These are general patterns based on feeder classification and historical NEPRA data. Actual timings vary by feeder and change with seasonal demand. Always verify your specific feeder schedule through 118 or the CCMS portal.
How the MEPCO Load Shedding Schedule Affects Your Electricity Bill
Load shedding affects your bill in three ways that most consumers do not connect:
- Concentrated usage effect: When power returns after 8 hours off, your household runs AC, refrigerator compressor, water pump, and lights simultaneously. This concentrated high-draw period generates the same units as if you had run everything for 18 hours spread out. Your bill reflects units consumed, not hours electricity was available.
- The 200-unit threshold trap: If load shedding keeps you under 200 units in winter but summer concentrated usage pushes you over, you pay unprotected rates on your entire summer consumption. The fixed charges — meter rent, FC surcharge, PTV fee — still appear on your bill regardless of how many hours power was actually available.
- Refrigerator compressor cycling: Every power cut causes your refrigerator compressor to restart from cold when power returns. Frequent starts consume more electricity than continuous running. During 10+ cuts per day (common in remote areas), this adds measurable consumption to your monthly total.
How to Manage Load Shedding and Protect Your Household
UPS — The Most Common Solution
A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) with deep-cycle batteries powers fans, lights, and phone charging during load shedding. A 1500VA UPS with two 150Ah batteries powers 2 ceiling fans + 5 LED lights for 6–8 hours. Cost in 2026: Rs. 45,000–70,000 for setup. Limitation: cannot power an AC. Maintenance: batteries need replacement every 3–4 years (Rs. 15,000–20,000 each).
Solar With Battery Backup
A 3kW solar system with a 5kWh LiFePO4 battery powers fans, lights, phone charging, and a small inverter AC for 8–10 hours. Cost in 2026: Rs. 400,000–650,000 for the full system. Under NEPRA’s new Prosumer Regulations (2026), excess daytime generation is credited at the avoided cost rate — less valuable than the old net metering but still meaningful. The Punjab Solar Tubewell Scheme 2026 offers up to Rs. 10 lakh subsidy for eligible agricultural consumers in DG Khan, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, and RYK. Apply through your district Agriculture Department.
Appliance Protection
Voltage fluctuations before and after load shedding damage sensitive electronics. A voltage stabiliser on your refrigerator and air conditioner extends appliance life significantly. Cost: Rs. 3,000–8,000 per unit. Automatic voltage regulators (AVRs) on the main panel protect everything simultaneously — Rs. 15,000–30,000 for a whole-house AVR.
Load Shedding and the 200-Unit Protected Consumer Threshold
This is the connection most South Punjab consumers have never heard explained clearly. The 200-unit threshold is a monthly average. Load shedding does not reset or adjust this threshold. During months with severe load shedding, your actual available electricity hours are lower — but your metered consumption may still be high due to concentrated usage when power is on.
The most vulnerable consumers are those who hover near the 200-unit boundary. A household that uses 185 units per month in normal conditions can be pushed to 215 units in a month with unusual load shedding patterns — concentrated usage, refrigerator cycling, and pump restarts all contribute. That crossing adds Rs. 4,000–8,000 to the bill with no change in the consumer’s behaviour.
2026 update: NEPRA is studying a load-adjusted protected threshold mechanism that would account for supply availability in protected consumer calculations. No implementation date has been announced. For current billing purposes, the standard 200-unit threshold applies regardless of load shedding hours.
When and How to File a Load Shedding Complaint
You have the right to file a complaint when: your actual outage significantly exceeds your scheduled hours, unplanned outages are frequent and unaddressed, voltage is consistently dangerously low, or your area is receiving significantly more load shedding than comparable urban areas without justification.
- File at ccms.pitc.com.pk — select Load Shedding/Power Supply as the complaint type. This creates a documented record with a tracking number.
- Call 118 to report unplanned outages as they happen — this creates a real-time record.
- For systemic excessive load shedding beyond your scheduled hours over multiple days, file with NEPRA at 080025622 (toll-free) or nepra.org.pk/Complaint.
- PM Citizens Portal (citizensportal.gov.pk) — for persistent unresolved complaints after all other channels. Tag Ministry of Energy and MEPCO.
Accumulated CCMS complaints on specific feeders create a documented record that triggers divisional management attention. A single complaint rarely achieves anything. Coordinated complaints from multiple consumers on the same feeder do.
Frequently Asked Questions — MEPCO Load Shedding Schedule
MEPCO’s peak demand hours are 7PM to 11PM during summer months and 7PM to 10PM in winter. These are the hours when national grid demand peaks. There is no separate peak-hour residential tariff surcharge under current NEPRA regulations — but concentrated usage during these hours contributes most to crossing the 200-unit protected consumer threshold, which triggers the largest bill increases.
Load shedding does not proportionally reduce your bill. When electricity returns, your household runs AC, refrigerator, pump, and fans simultaneously — generating the same units in 12 concentrated hours as 18 spread hours. Fixed charges (meter rent, FC surcharge, PTV fee) also apply regardless of outage duration.
Your feeder name is printed on your MEPCO bill in the account details section. Alternatively, call 118 with your reference number — they can identify your feeder and provide the current scheduled timings.
Under current NEPRA regulations, there is no automatic bill reduction for load shedding hours. However, if your meter shows significantly inflated readings that you believe are EST-based (not actual) during periods of severe load shedding, you can file a bill correction complaint at your subdivision office.
Yes. The Punjab Solar Tubewell Scheme 2026 specifically targets South Punjab districts with severe load shedding — DG Khan, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, and Rahim Yar Khan are priority districts. Apply through your district Agriculture Department or extension officer — not through MEPCO.
A Final Word on the MEPCO Load Shedding Schedule
Load shedding in South Punjab is not a technical problem that will be solved by the next government — it is a financial problem. Feeders with good recovery rates receive less load shedding because they generate revenue that justifies investment. The path to less load shedding for rural South Punjab runs through consistent bill payment, coordinated CCMS complaints on overloaded feeders, and gradual solar adoption that reduces feeder load.
In the meantime: photograph your meter every month, pay before the due date, understand your scheduled outage hours, and protect sensitive appliances with voltage stabilisers. These four habits cannot change the grid — but they can protect your household and your wallet from the worst of its failures.
Sources: NEPRA Load Management Reports 2026, MEPCO CCMS data, Punjab Energy Department 2026. Last verified July 2026. meetyourbills.com is independent — not affiliated with MEPCO or any government body.
