Live Peak Hours Status
Official NEPRA 4-Season Peak Hours Schedule
The Ministry of Energy and NEPRA enforce a 4-season peak hours rotation based on sunset and national grid peak demand curves:
| Season & Months | Peak Hours Timings | Duration | Approx Peak Rate | Approx Off-Peak Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September to November (Autumn) | 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM | 4 Hours | ~Rs. 65.50 / Unit | ~Rs. 41.20 / Unit | ACTIVE NOW |
| December to February (Winter) | 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM | 4 Hours | ~Rs. 65.50 / Unit | ~Rs. 41.20 / Unit | Upcoming |
| March to May (Spring) | 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM | 4 Hours | ~Rs. 65.50 / Unit | ~Rs. 41.20 / Unit | Standard |
| June to August (Summer) | 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM | 4 Hours | ~Rs. 65.50 / Unit | ~Rs. 41.20 / Unit | Summer High Load |
Who Is Affected by Peak Hours in Pakistan?
Peak hours in Pakistan apply to specific tariff categories under NEPRA regulations:
- All 3-Phase Residential Connections: Any domestic home with a 3-phase digital meter automatically falls under the Time of Use (TOU) tariff (Tariff A-1b).
- Sanctioned Load 5 kW & Above: Commercial shops, offices (Tariff A-2), industrial units (Tariff B), and domestic connections with 5kW+ load.
- Net Metering Solar Prosumers: Solar owners with bi-directional green meters export units during the day at off-peak rates, but pay full peak rates for evening grid consumption.
- Single-Phase Users (Under 5kW): Conventional single-phase meters operate under standard progressive tariff slabs (0-100, 101-200, 201-300, etc.) and do not have separate peak/off-peak unit registers.
How to Read Peak Units on Your Digital Meter
Pakistani electronic 3-phase meters (MicroTech, Secure, Sanxing, Vertex) cycle through display codes every 5 to 7 seconds:
Off-Peak Units (kWh)
Displays cumulative electricity units consumed during 20 off-peak hours of the day (charged at ~Rs. 41.20/unit).
Peak Units (kWh)
Displays cumulative electricity units consumed during the 4 peak hours (charged at ~Rs. 65.50/unit).
Maximum Demand (MDI kW)
Highest instantaneous electricity demand drawn during the month. Exceeding your sanctioned load triggers heavy fixed surcharges.
Top 5 Actions to Reduce Your Peak Hour Bill by PKR 12,000–18,000 Monthly
- Pre-Cool Before 6:00 PM: Cool bedrooms down to 22°C at 5:00 PM. At 6:00 PM, set Inverter ACs to 26°C or switch to ceiling fans.
- Never Run Water Pumps: 1HP to 2HP water motors draw 1,500W to 2,500W with high inductive surge. Run them early morning or after 10:00 PM.
- Schedule Electric Geysers: Use digital timers or smart WiFi breaker sockets so geysers shut off completely between 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM.
- Iron Clothes on Weekends or Mornings: A 1,000W iron running for 2 hours during peak time costs almost triple the off-peak rate.
- Solar Battery Storage Discharge: If you have a hybrid solar inverter with LiFePO4 batteries, program Time-of-Use discharge to power home loads from batteries strictly during peak hours.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which power companies in Pakistan enforce these peak hours?
All state-owned DISCOs under PEPCO/PITC (MEPCO, LESCO, IESCO, FESCO, GEPCO, PESCO, HESCO, SEPCO, QESCO, TESCO, HAZECO) as well as Karachi Electric (KE) follow these identical NEPRA seasonal timings.
Can net metering units offset peak units 1-to-1?
No. NEPRA net-metering regulations prohibit 1-to-1 unit swapping between peak and off-peak. Daytime surplus export units are credited as off-peak units and cannot directly wipe out peak units.
What happens if my digital meter clock is incorrect?
If your meter's internal Real-Time Clock (RTC) drifts, it may record off-peak units as peak units. Check Code 05 (Date) and Code 06 (Time) on your meter screen. If wrong, submit a written complaint to your SDO office for clock recalibration or meter replacement.