No More Installments: LESCO’s New Policy Shocks Electricity Users

If you’ve been paying your LESCO bills in small parts each month, I’ve got bad news. The company just stopped letting people do that. No more installments. You have to pay everything at once now.

This is a big problem. Electricity bills in Pakistan are already really high. Many families can’t afford to pay thousands of rupees all at once. But now they have no choice.

You might be wondering why LESCO did this. Well, I’ll explain everything. And I’ll also tell you what you can do about it.

Electricity Bills Pakistan: What Exactly Has Been Abolished?

So what changed? Before, if your electricity bill was too high, you could ask LESCO to break it into smaller payments. Maybe 3 months. Maybe 6 months. It made things easier.

Now that’s gone. You have to pay the full amount by the due date. If you don’t, they’ll cut your power.

Here’s a simple table to show you the difference:

The WAPDA bill policy used to help people. But now LESCO says no more help.

Here’s the real problem. Bills aren’t small anymore. An average family might get a bill for 15,000 to 30,000 rupees. Some bills are even higher. If a family earns 50,000 rupees a month, that’s more than half their money gone in one payment.

LESCO Installments & Why This Step Was Taken

Why did LESCO do this? They say too many people owe them money. Billions of rupees. They say the installment system wasn’t working. People would make plans to pay, then not pay anyway.

But here’s what I think. Yes, some people don’t pay. But most people try their best. Taking away help from everyone because of a few people? That doesn’t seem fair.

NEPRA is the group that sets rules for power companies and says they should support people, not just chase payments. But LESCO isn’t really following that, even if you try to pay through LESCO Bill Online.

What’s Really Pushing LESCO?

Let me tell you what’s happening behind the scenes:

• Pakistan’s power companies owe each other over 2,300 billion rupees
• The IMF (a money group from other countries) wants Pakistan to collect bills better
• LESCO needs money to keep the lights on

I get it. They need money. But should regular people pay for big system problems they didn’t create?

Electricity Bill Relief: How This Impacts Consumers

This new rule hurts people in many ways. Not just money problems. It stresses people out. It makes life harder.

Money Problems Get Worse

Now families have to choose. Pay the full electricity bill or buy food? Pay the bill or buy medicine? There’s no middle option anymore.

In my experience, when people face choices like this, they do desperate things. They borrow money at high interest. They sell things. Or they just live without power.

Electricity consumer rights say people should get fair treatment. But who’s protecting those rights now?

They’ll Cut Your Power Fast

Without installments, if you don’t pay, LESCO will disconnect you quickly. In summer, when it’s 40 degrees or hotter, no electricity is dangerous. Especially for old people and small kids.

Load shedding issues already make life hard. Now imagine having no power at all.

What Happens to Families Long-Term

Think about this. When families spend so much on electricity, the LESCO bill, what gets cut? School fees. Doctor visits. Good food. Small business money.

Everything suffers. And that creates bigger problems for years to come.

The Pakistan energy shortage already costs a lot. Now people have even less money to spend on other things.

Public Reaction: Anger, Frustration & Distrust

People are really angry. Really frustrated. I’ve seen protests. I’ve seen posts on Facebook and Twitter. Everyone’s talking about it.

One person from Lahore said: “They kept raising prices. We dealt with it. They added new charges. We adjusted. But taking away our only option? That’s too much.”

That’s how most people feel.

Nobody Trusts the System Anymore

What makes people most angry? The timing. The government kept promising electricity bill relief. They said help is coming. But bills just keep going up. And now the one thing that helped? Gone.

You might wonder if anyone’s fighting for consumers. Some groups tried. They filed complaints with NEPRA. But nothing changed so far.

Social Media is Full of Complaints

Twitter and Facebook are full of angry posts. People share memes comparing electricity bills to house rent. It’s funny but also sad. Because behind the jokes, people are really worried.

Usually, when this many people complain, the government does something. But will they this time? We’ll have to wait and see.

Solar Energy Pakistan: Why More People Are Shifting to Solar

Now here’s the interesting part. Because of all these problems, more people are buying solar panels. Way more people.

Solar energy Pakistan is growing fast. What rich people used to buy, regular families are buying now. Because they’re tired of high bills and bad policies.

Why Solar Makes Sense

Let’s do some simple math. A good solar system for a house costs 600,000 to 800,000 rupees. That’s a lot. But here’s the thing. It can cut your electricity bill by 70-80%. Some people’s bills go to almost zero.

In 3-5 years, you save enough money to cover what you spent. After that, it’s basically free electricity.

Solar panel adoption in Pakistan went up 40% in just one year. That tells you something.

How to Get Solar: Simple Steps

If you want to switch to solar energy Pakistan, here’s what to do:

1. Check your bills: Look at your last 6 months of bills. See how much electricity you use.
2. Figure out what size you need: Every 1kW of solar makes about 120-150 units per month in Pakistan.
3. Get prices from different companies: Talk to 3-4 solar companies. Compare their prices and services.
4. Learn about net metering: With NEPRA approval, you can sell extra electricity back to LESCO.
5. Look for loans: Some banks give loans for solar. Some solar companies let you pay over time.
6. Get it installed: Installation takes 2-3 days. Then NEPRA checks it.
7. Watch how it works: Most systems have apps. You can see how much power you’re making.

Does the Government Help?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The rules keep changing. But net metering is still good. You can use the grid like a battery. Send power during the day. Use it at night.

Electricity Tariff Update: What Happens Next?

Bad news here. Electricity tariff updates show prices will probably keep going up. Here’s why:

Fuel Costs Change Every Month

The WAPDA bill policy includes fuel adjustments. When oil and gas prices go up around the world, your bill goes up too. This can add 2-5 rupees per unit.

Capacity Payments

This is weird. Pakistan pays power plants even when they’re not making electricity. It’s called capacity payment. This costs hundreds of billions of rupees. And it’s in your bill.

That’s a big reason why electricity bills Pakistan families get keep going up even though we still have load shedding issues.

IMF Wants More Money Collected

The IMF gave Pakistan money. But they said Pakistan must collect bills better and fix the debt problem. That means more pressure on LESCO to collect. And maybe more electricity price hikes coming.

What This Means for You

Your bills will probably stay high or go higher in the next year or two. The electricity consumer rights system doesn’t protect much against price increases. Especially ones NEPRA approves.

What can you do? Use less electricity. Be smarter about when you use power. Think about solar. And stay updated on any new help programs.

Conclusion

Let’s be honest. LESCO’s decision to stop installments came at the worst time. People are already struggling. Prices for everything are up. Salaries stay the same. The Pakistan energy shortage isn’t fixed. Load shedding issues continue. Electricity bills keep rising.

And now the one thing that helped people manage? It’s gone.

In my opinion, this shows that the people making rules don’t understand regular people’s lives. Yes, LESCO needs to collect money. Yes, circular debt is a problem. But making life impossible for struggling families isn’t the answer.

The good thing? More people are going solar. More people are thinking about how to use less power. But these are choices people make because they’re desperate, not because they want to.

What You Should Do Now

Here’s my practical advice:

Right now: If you owe LESCO money, pay it fast. Avoid disconnection. Borrow from family if you need to. It’s better than expensive bank loans.

In the next few weeks: Save electricity like your life depends on it. Use LED bulbs. Use fans instead of AC when you can. Unplug things you’re not using. Use high-power things during off-peak hours.

In the next few months: Really think about solar panel adoption. Get prices. Do the math. It’s an investment that pays back. And with electricity tariff updates going up, solar gets better every month.

Keep watching: Check NEPRA regulations and any new electricity bill relief programs. Sometimes public pressure works. Rules can change.

Speak up: If this policy feels unfair, complain to NEPRA. Join consumer groups. Call your local representatives. Change needs many voices.

The bottom line? LESCO’s new policy is tough. But you’re not helpless. Learn what you can. Make smart choices. Take control.

Because waiting for the government to help? You might wait forever.

Are you dealing with high electricity bills? Have you thought about solar? Tell us your story in the comments. Let’s help each other through this.