MEPCO Disconnection and Reconnection
Last checked 26 September 2026
MEPCO can cut supply for unpaid bills only after the second month's bill has passed its due date, and that bill must carry a notice of 7 clear days. To get reconnected, clear the dues or the installment MEPCO allows, pay any reconnection charges that apply and obtain a reconnection order. Under NEPRA's 2026 performance standards, an urban connection at 400 volts or below is due back the same day the payment is realised. This page covers the grounds and notices, the steps, the costs, the time limits and long disconnections.
When can MEPCO disconnect your supply?
MEPCO can disconnect a connection on the grounds NEPRA's Consumer Service Manual sets, chiefly the seven listed in clause 8.1. Those seven grounds are:
- unpaid electricity bills;
- theft of electricity;
- illegal reconnection of a disconnected supply;
- load extended beyond the sanctioned load;
- a request from the consumer;
- misuse of tariff, such as a home connection used for business;
- a bank guarantee not renewed within 30 days of expiry.
When MEPCO cannot disconnect
The manual also protects consumers in these situations:
- One unpaid monthly bill is not a ground for disconnection (clause 8.2.3), nor is an unpaid current bill when no older dues are outstanding (clause 8.2.1).
- A consumer paying installments that MEPCO allowed stays connected while the installments are paid (clause 8.2.6); the MEPCO bill installment guide covers who can approve them.
- A default by another consumer in a different portion of the same premises does not cut your separate connection (clause 8.2.7).
- A billing complaint on which NEPRA has issued a restraining order protects the supply, provided current bills are paid (clause 8.2.9).
What notice does MEPCO give before disconnection?
For unpaid bills, MEPCO gives a notice of 7 clear days with the second month's bill, telling you to clear the outstanding dues with that bill or face disconnection. It may be printed or stamped on the bill itself (clause 8.2.2).
The table shows how the procedure runs, stage by stage, when a bill stays unpaid.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| First month's bill unpaid | No disconnection (clause 8.2.3); the unpaid amount shows as arrears on the next bill. |
| Second month's bill | Carries the 7-day notice. If it is unpaid by its due date, supply is disconnected and stays off until full payment with late payment surcharge, or installments MEPCO allows (clauses 8.2.2 and 8.2.4). |
| Third month's bill unpaid, with two months of arrears | MEPCO issues an Equipment Removal Order, removes the meter and material and gives the connection a permanently disconnected code. Supply returns only after all dues are paid, in full or installments, and the reconnection formalities are done (clause 8.2.5). |
| Agreed installments not paid | Supply is disconnected without further notice and restored only after at least 50% of the dues are received (clause 8.2.6). |
If MEPCO leaves its equipment on site for its own ease after a permanent disconnection, the consumer is not held responsible for any later theft of electricity or material (clause 8.2.5). Other grounds follow other notice rules: 7 clear days for misuse of tariff (clause 7.5.2), 15 days to apply for a load extension after an excess-load notice (clause 8.2.10), 7 business days' written notice for other breaches of the manual (clause 14.10), and immediate disconnection for direct theft (clause 9.1.2).
Received a disconnection notice for arrears you have already paid? MEPCO's FAQ says showing the bank receipt to the customer services officer of your division gets it reversed.
How to get your MEPCO connection reconnected
To get reconnected, pay what the disconnection was for, apply to your sub-division for a reconnection order and complete the paperwork MEPCO asks for.
- Clear the dues. Pay all outstanding dues with the late payment surcharge, or the installment MEPCO has allowed (clauses 8.2.4 and 8.5.1). Check the arrears on your latest bill with the MEPCO bill checker and pay through one of the official MEPCO bill payment channels.
- Apply for reconnection. Apply to your MEPCO sub-division or customer service centre; PITC's complaint system also listed Reconnection as a request type as of September 2026. MEPCO's FAQ says the reconnection order (RCO) is issued by the customer services officer once the dues are cleared.
- Sign the undertaking. For a defaulter, MEPCO's FAQ describes an undertaking on stamp paper that accepts immediate disconnection if arrears or current bills go unpaid again, and a new agreement, before supply is restored. Where installments were agreed, supply returns after the first installment and the formalities.
- Get the wiring tested if a fault caused the cut. A disconnection caused by a severe fault or fire in the internal wiring needs a fresh wiring test report from the Electric Inspector or an authorised contractor, though MEPCO may reconnect temporarily after checking the wiring itself (clause 8.5.6).
- Chase a late reconnection. If supply is not back within the limits set out below, ask MEPCO in writing for the reasons for each day of delay, as the 2026 performance standards allow.
What does reconnection cost?
Besides the dues, reconnection can cost a fee of Rs 500 to Rs 10,000 set by the arrears, minimum or fixed charges for the time you were off supply, and in some cases security deposit and material costs.
Reconnection fee
Clause 8.5.3 of the manual ties the fee to the arrears. Each row below is an arrears band or case, with the fee the manual sets for it.
| Arrears or case | Reconnection fee |
|---|---|
| Up to Rs 5,000 | Rs 500 |
| Rs 5,001 to Rs 20,000 | Rs 800 |
| Rs 20,001 to Rs 1 lakh (Rs 100,000) | Rs 2,000 |
| Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh (Rs 1,000,000) | Rs 4,000 |
| Over Rs 10 lakh | Rs 10,000 |
| Supply cut for dishonest abstraction of electricity (see MEPCO detection bill rules) | Rs 2,000 |
| Seasonal consumer | Nil |
The manual allows reconnection charges only where supply was permanently disconnected and the material was actually removed from the site (clause 8.5.4).
Fixed or minimum charges for the time off supply
Single-phase home, shop and general-service connections (A-1, A-2 and A-3) pay Rs 200 only, whatever the period (clause 8.5.2). Three-phase connections in those categories, and industrial and agricultural connections, pay on this scale:
- Up to 90 days: charges for the actual period.
- Over 90 days to 3 years: one month's charges for every quarter, in addition to the charges for the 90 days; a part quarter is ignored.
- Over 3 years to 10 years: one month's charges for every year beyond 3 years, on top of the above; a part year is ignored.
Security deposit and material
Whether you pay a deposit again depends on how long the supply was off and whether MEPCO used your old deposit against the arrears (clause 8.6). The table crosses those two conditions.
| Old deposit | Disconnected within 365 days | Disconnected more than 365 days |
|---|---|---|
| Not used against arrears | No extra deposit | The difference between the deposit paid and the current rate |
| Used against arrears | The used amount only | The full deposit at current rates |
Current residential deposit rates are Rs 1,220 per kW in urban areas and Rs 610 per kW in rural areas (Annexure IV); the full list is on the MEPCO new connection fee page. Material removed at disconnection is kept for 365 days. Apply within that time and no material cost is charged; apply later but within 3 years and you get credit for its depreciated value if you originally paid for it; after 3 years there is no credit (clause 8.5.5).
How fast must MEPCO restore supply?
An urban connection at 400 volts or below must be reconnected the same day the payment is realised, and a rural one the next day. These limits are in Schedule I of NEPRA's Performance Standards (Distribution) Regulations, 2026, notified as S.R.O. 1430(I)/2026 on 25 August 2026. The table gives the deadline for each type of connection after a disconnection for unpaid bills.
| Connection | Reconnection deadline |
|---|---|
| Urban, 400 volts or below | Same day the payment is realised |
| Rural, 400 volts or below | The next day after the payment is realised |
| 11 kV and above, urban or rural | 3 days for reconnection within one year; 7 days for reconnection after more than one year |
The same regulations stop MEPCO from refusing a reconnection application without first giving you the grounds in writing and a reasonable time to respond, and let you ask in writing for the reasons for each day of delay. They also set compensation for missed deadlines, but that part (regulation 13) comes into force two years after the regulations.
What if the connection has been off for a long time?
MEPCO reconnects a disconnected premises for up to 10 years after disconnection; after that you need a new connection. The options by length of disconnection are:
- Up to 10 years: reconnection on application, with the charges above (clause 8.5).
- More than 3 and up to 10 years: a new connection at the same premises instead, after clearing all old dues. No fixed or minimum charges or reconnection fee are then charged for the disconnected period, and the old security deposit can be adjusted against the new connection if it was not used earlier (clause 8.7).
- More than 10 years: no reconnection; apply for a MEPCO new connection, which the manual says gets priority.
Temporary disconnection at your request
A consumer who moves away, or wants supply off for any other reason, can ask for a temporary disconnection of up to 11 months after paying the final bill with no arrears left (clause 8.3). Its main rules:
- MEPCO disconnects within 4 working days of the written request, and fixed or minimum charges are waived for the actual period off.
- No reconnection fee applies if you apply within 7 days after the period ends; supply is restored within 4 working days of the formalities, for which you submit a fresh test report.
- Fixed or minimum charges resume after the period, even if you do not reconnect.
- Consumers with a second source of supply, such as a solar system or captive generation, cannot use the facility.
NEPRA's website posted a public notice on 25 September 2026 inviting comments on proposed changes to these temporary disconnection rules; until a change is approved, the rules above apply.
What if you were disconnected wrongly?
Complain straight away with your receipts, and escalate to NEPRA if MEPCO does not restore supply. Register the complaint through the channels on the MEPCO complaint numbers page. The manual lists disconnection for non-payment among the matters consumers can take to NEPRA (clause 15.1.4), and the guide to a NEPRA complaint against MEPCO explains how. If NEPRA, the Electric Inspector, a court or another competent forum declares a disconnection null and void, no reconnection fee, fixed or minimum charges, security deposit or material cost can be charged (clause 8.8).
Sources: NEPRA Consumer Service Manual as on 26 November 2025, chapter 8, clauses 1.5, 5.2.6, 7.5.2, 9.1.2, 14.10, 15.1.4 and Annexure IV (copy circulated by MEPCO on 28 November 2025); NEPRA Performance Standards (Distribution) Regulations, 2026, S.R.O. 1430(I)/2026 dated 25 August 2026; NEPRA public notice on proposed CSM amendments, 25 September 2026; MEPCO FAQ page; PITC Customer Complaint Management System. Checked 26 September 2026.