Electricity and gas connection for a new house: meter fees, how to apply, and the gas suspension (2026)

The LESCO new connection fee for a single-phase meter is Rs 21,300, Pakistan Observer reported on 31 March 2026: Rs 17,700 for the meter and cable and Rs 3,660 security. LESCO’s website didn’t open for us, so that is a secondary source. IESCO publishes its own charges: Rs 8,500 for a single-phase meter, plus security. New gas connections are on imported RLNG only, and they have been suspended since May 2026.

Below: what each step costs, how to apply, how long the DISCO may take, and where gas stands as of 21 October 2026.

How much is the LESCO new connection fee, and IESCO’s?

You pay two things on the demand notice: the connection charges (meter and service cable) and a security deposit based on your load in kilowatts (kW).

Contractor fees and other charges are paid separately, Pakistan Observer said. Before an earlier increase, the single-phase demand notice had been Rs 13,786, Daily Times reported in September 2025.

Security deposit

NEPRA’s rates, the same for all DISCOs, are:

LESCO’s reported Rs 3,660 security is exactly 3 kW at the urban house rate (our calculation).

Beyond 40 m, IESCO adds a pole and charges per metre for a single-phase line. For three phase above 40 m, it charges the actual cost of the pole and material. The pole options don’t apply inside housing societies.

Single phase or three phase: which should you ask for?

Decide before you apply if you plan rooftop solar. PITC’s net billing portal doesn’t accept a single-phase connection or a sanctioned load under 5 kW, so you would have to apply for a change of load later. See how to apply for net metering and what size solar system you need.

On new connections, LESCO now fits one AMI smart meter instead of two, and a backup meter is no longer required, Daily Times reported in September 2025. During a meter shortage in October 2025, LESCO let consumers buy AMI meters from approved makers under an NOC. In September 2026 it began buying 297,000 single-phase AMI meters for new applicants, Daily Pakistan reported.

How do I apply for a new electricity connection?

1. Apply in person or on your DISCO’s website. MEPCO and IESCO send you to the ENC portal (enc.com.pk; IESCO’s link is iesco.enc.com.pk), where you fill the form, upload documents and pay online. The DISCO gives you a tracking ID.
2. Get your house wiring tested by the Electric Inspector or a wiring contractor he has authorised. The test report goes with the application.
3. Pay the demand notice. You can download it with your tracking ID and pay online or at designated banks.
4. The DISCO installs the meter. The time limit runs from full payment.

The ENC portal didn’t respond to us on 21 October 2026, so the online steps above are from MEPCO’s own page.

Documents

NEPRA’s Consumer Service Manual (revised in November 2025) asks for:

• proof that you own the house, or the owner’s NOC if you rent
• an affidavit by the owner on Rs 50 stamp paper that no connection existed before and that you aren’t a defaulter
• attested CNIC copies of the applicant and one witness
• an approved map or site plan, or an NOC from the civic agency (not needed for a house inside an approved housing society)
• the wiring test report

A connection doesn’t prove that you own the house, the manual says.

How long can the DISCO take?

30 days after you pay in full, for a connection up to 15 kW at 400 V. NEPRA’s timetable splits that into 4 days for registration and the site survey, 6 for the demand notice, 11 for the work order and material, and 9 for installing the meter. IESCO publishes the same 30 days.

You get 30 days to pay the demand notice, and can ask for another 30 at least three days before it expires. You can also ask to pay the connection charges and security in instalments, without mark-up. A DISCO may not charge a house any escalation cost up to 20 kW.

Can I get electricity while the house is being built?

Yes. NEPRA’s manual allows a temporary connection for building a house, for six months at first and extendable three months at a time until the work is finished. You apply on the same form as a new connection, with ownership proof, the owner’s affidavit if you aren’t the owner, and CNIC copies.

The security for a temporary connection is the cost of the electricity you are expected to use. It is refunded at the end, or adjusted if the connection becomes permanent.

Can I get a new gas connection in 2026?

Not on local gas, and as of 21 October 2026 not on RLNG either, as far as we could find. SNGPL’s FAQ (updated July 2026) says the ban on new system-gas connections is still in place, and new domestic connections are given only on the costlier imported RLNG tariff.

The Ministry of Petroleum then suspended new RLNG connections in May 2026, ARY News reported on 15 July. SNGPL stopped issuing demand notices for both the urgent and regular categories. Officials expected a decision after a review of gas supply in September 2026, but we found no report that the suspension was lifted. SNGPL’s own pages still describe how to apply and don’t mention it.

Before the suspension, demand was heavy: about 400,000 fast-track and nearly 300,000 normal applications reached SNGPL after the earlier ban was lifted, and 64,000 RLNG-based connections had been given, The Nation reported in January 2026.

What does an RLNG gas connection cost?

SNGPL figures are from its July 2026 pages and can be changed by OGRA. Aaj News put the RLNG demand notice at about Rs 23,500 in April 2026; we follow SNGPL’s own table. You can’t pay in instalments. Fast track up to 10 marla comes to Rs 46,500 in total (our calculation).

The pipe inside your house is your cost on top. SNGPL wants it laid by an SNGPL-enlisted contractor, who issues a certificate. RLNG is billed at a flat rate per unit with no monthly fixed charge, and SNGPL says it is costlier than local gas but cheaper than LPG.

How do I apply when connections reopen?

If SNGPL’s main runs in front of your house, apply on its form at a regional office or customer services centre, on its website or in the ConnectOn app. If there is no main in your street, you apply for a network extension instead. Connections go first come, first served by payment date, and the first bill comes within 45 days of gas being turned on.

Documents: your CNIC copy, the property title (registry, transfer letter or fard), and the owner’s NOC if you aren’t the owner. Online, you also need the consumer number of the nearest gas connection. SSGC asks in addition for the approved and completion plans, affidavits on Rs 100 stamp paper and its RLNG contract form.

Plan the rest of the build

Avenir and ACCO leave utility connections out of their grey structure rates, so budget for them separately: see grey structure cost and house construction cost in Pakistan. For the wires inside the house, see which electric wire brand to buy.

More guides: electricity unit price, net metering rules, best water pipe for a house, Property.