Why crossing 200 units makes your electricity bill jump

NEPRA's residential tariff has two tracks. Protected consumers, those using 200 units or less for six consecutive months, pay subsidised slab rates. Everyone else is unprotected, with rates roughly three to four times higher per unit.

The cliff

A household that used 190 units in each of the last six months and then uses 210 units in a hot month loses protected status. The next six bills are charged at unprotected rates even if usage drops back below 200.

Above 200, the slab benefit disappears

For unprotected consumers using more than 200 units, the entire consumption is billed at the rate of the highest slab reached, not just the units within it. Going from 300 to 301 units re-prices all 301 units.

Practical moves

• Read the meter mid-month; a small change in AC hours can keep you under a threshold.
• Compare the all-in per-unit cost with the Electricity Bill Calculator.
• If you regularly use 400+ units, a solar system pays back in 3–5 years at today's tariffs, see the Solar Payback Calculator and solar installers.