How to Increase Your Sanctioned Load Before Going Solar

This guide explains why sanctioned load limits your solar size, how the extension process works under NEPRA's Consumer Service Manual, what it costs and the common reasons files get stuck. We checked the rules on 13 October 2026. Procedures differ in detail between DISCOs and offices, so confirm with your sub-division before you start.

What is sanctioned load?

Sanctioned load is the load, in kW, that your DISCO has approved for your connection. It is printed on your electricity bill, usually labelled "Sanctioned Load" or "Load". It is different from:

• Connected load: what is actually wired up in your building.
• Maximum demand (MDI): the highest demand your meter records in a month.

Our guide on how to read your electricity bill before going solar shows where to find each one.

Diagram

Sanctioned load and solar

Current load

Printed on your bill

Extension

Applied with FESCO or LESCO

Solar size

Capped at sanctioned load

Why sanctioned load limits your solar system

Under the NEPRA (Prosumer) Regulations, 2026, which brought in net billing on 9 February 2026, the capacity of your solar system cannot exceed your sanctioned load, with an overall cap of 1 MW. The older 2015 rules were reported to allow up to 1.5 times sanctioned load; that allowance is gone. Our net metering and net billing guide covers the wider rules.

In practice:

The table follows the regulation's rule. How the DISCO measures system size (inverter rating or panel kW) should be confirmed with your DISCO.

This is not a paperwork detail. In a November 2025 decision, NEPRA's complaints committee upheld FESCO's rejection of a home net metering application where the proposed panels and inverter were too large for the home's 5 kW sanctioned load. The owner was told to bring the system within the limit before applying again.

So the order of work should be: check sanctioned load, raise it if needed, then design and apply for net billing. If you plan to add panels to a system that already has net metering, read our guide to upgrading an existing system first. LESCO has said that consumers who increase their net metering capacity move to net billing.

Do you actually need more sanctioned load?

Not always. Before applying, check:

1. Your real daytime load. Under net billing, exported units earn much less than the units you buy. A system sized to daytime use often fits inside your current sanctioned load. Try our solar calculator.
2. Your future plans. If you are adding ACs, a floor or machines, raise the load once, for the final need.
3. Your phase. Net billing is open to three-phase 400 V and 11 kV consumers. If you are on single phase, the load increase and the change to three phase are usually handled together. See converting single-phase to three-phase.
4. Your fixed charges. For tariff categories with fixed charges per kW, the bill is based on actual MDI or a percentage of sanctioned load, whichever is higher. A bigger sanctioned load can therefore raise the minimum fixed charge. See our MDI guide.

Who approves your extension of load

NEPRA's Consumer Service Manual (CSM) sets which DISCO officer sanctions each connection size. The same officers handle changes in load.

For most homes and shops, your SDO's office is the place to start.

How to increase sanctioned load: step by step (FESCO and LESCO)

These steps follow the CSM and FESCO's published FAQ. LESCO uses the same national manual.

1. Decide the new load. List what you will run, including the planned solar system. Your installer or wiring contractor can help.
2. Get a test report. The CSM requires a test report from the Electric Inspector or an authorised (licensed) wiring contractor. The load declared in your application is treated as your connected load, subject to this report and the DISCO's own verification.
3. Collect your documents (list below).
4. Submit the application on the prescribed form at your sub-division office and keep the receipt. FESCO's FAQ says to apply to the SDO, who verifies the load and arranges the test report before carrying out the extension.
5. Site verification. DISCO staff check your premises, wiring and the transformer and service cable feeding you.
6. Demand notice. If approved, the DISCO issues a demand notice for the security deposit difference and any capital cost (for example, a new meter or cable). The CSM gives 30 days to pay, with a further 30 days of grace on request made at least three days before the due date.
7. Work and update. After payment, the DISCO changes the meter or service cable if needed and updates the sanctioned load in its records. Check your next bill shows the new figure.
8. Then apply for net billing. With the right load (and three-phase supply), follow our green meter and net billing application guide.

For time frames, the CSM refers to a schedule (Annex III) by connection category. A January 2026 NEPRA decision against FESCO cited ten days for issuing a demand notice for loads up to 15 kW for new connections.

Documents for extension of load

Under clause 2.14 of the CSM, attach these to the application form:

• Test report from the Electric Inspector or an authorised wiring contractor
• Copy of the last paid bill, with no arrears or pending installments
• Attested copy of the CNIC of the consumer
• Power Supply Contract (the agreement signed when the connection was given)
• Payment of capital cost, if applicable
• Security deposit updated to current rates for the whole new load, less what you already paid

If the bill is not in your name, sort out the name first. A change of name has its own procedure, and a mismatch between the bill and the applicant also stalls net billing files later.

What it costs

Unauthorised load: why "just using more" does not work

Some people simply run more than their sanctioned load. A 2023 amendment to the CSM tells DISCOs what to do about it. For meters up to 8 kW, the meter reader records the month's MDI. If it shows unauthorised load, a notice appears on the bill. If you ignore it, the extra security deposit is recovered in installments through your bills and the load is extended automatically. When a single-phase meter's load approaches 5 kW, the DISCO issues an extension notice and installs a time-of-use meter.

Automatic extension may raise your load on paper, but it is better to apply properly, for the load you actually need, before you design a solar system.

Common reasons extension files get delayed

• Transformer overloaded. The DISCO says the transformer cannot take more load. NEPRA's complaints committee has ordered FESCO to extend a home's load and augment the transformer at its own cost in such a case. It noted that supplying up to 20 kW to a home from a common transformer is the DISCO's responsibility under the CSM.
• Arrears or a disputed bill.
• Name mismatch between the bill and the applicant.
• Missing test report or one that does not match the declared load.
• Phase issue. The load requested needs three-phase supply that is not yet in place.

If a DISCO does not act within the prescribed time, you can complain to the DISCO first and then to NEPRA's consumer complaints system. Do not pay anyone to "speed up" a file.

How Solar Works Pakistan can help

When you send us your bill, we check your sanctioned load and phase first, before we size anything. Our in-house engineers then design the system to fit your connection and the net billing limit, and our quotation lists brand, model, quantity and warranty for each item.

Get today's price or a free site survey

• WhatsApp or call: 0336 666 4321
• Email: info@solarworks.pk
• Head office: Main Boulevard, Sargodha Rd, Block F FDA City, Faisalabad
• Lahore branch: 2nd Floor, Jeff Heights, Gulberg, Lahore. See our Faisalabad and Lahore pages.
• Hours: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, daily

We serve homes, shops and factories throughout Punjab, with systems from about 6 kW to megawatt scale. Site surveys are normally free. Contact us online.

Frequently asked questions

How do I increase my sanctioned load with FESCO or LESCO?

Apply for an extension of load at your sub-division office with a wiring test report, last paid bill, CNIC and power supply contract. After site verification you pay a demand notice for the updated security deposit and any capital cost, and the DISCO updates your load.

Can my solar system be bigger than my sanctioned load?

Not for net billing. Under the 2026 Prosumer Regulations, solar capacity cannot exceed your sanctioned load, with an overall cap of 1 MW. Raise the load first if you need a larger system.

How long does an extension of load take?

The Consumer Service Manual sets time frames by connection category, and you get 30 days to pay the demand notice. Real timelines depend on your DISCO, transformer capacity and how complete your file is.

Does increasing sanctioned load increase my bill?

It raises your security deposit. For tariff categories with fixed charges per kW, a higher sanctioned load can also raise the minimum fixed charge. Check your category before you apply.

What is a test report for extension of load?

It is a report on your internal wiring and connected load from the Electric Inspector or an authorised wiring contractor. The DISCO uses it, along with its own check, to confirm the load you declared.

Can the DISCO refuse to increase my load?

It can return an application with reasons, for example if the network needs work. NEPRA has ruled in some cases that the DISCO must strengthen the transformer at its own cost. If you think a refusal is wrong, complain to the DISCO and then to NEPRA.

Do I need three-phase supply to increase sanctioned load?

Not always, but for net billing you need a three-phase connection. Larger loads usually mean three-phase supply anyway, so plan both changes together.

Sources

1. NEPRA (Prosumer) Regulations, 2026, SRO 251(I)/2026 (copy hosted by K-Electric)
2. NEPRA, Consumer Service Manual, January 2021
3. NEPRA, amendments to the Consumer Service Manual 2021 (letter dated 21 Nov 2023)
4. IESCO, Consumer Service Manual (consolidated copy)
5. FESCO, Frequently Asked Questions
6. NEPRA Complaints Resolution Committee, decision in a FESCO load-extension case (8 Oct 2025)
7. NEPRA Complaints Resolution Committee, decision in a FESCO net metering case (10 Nov 2025)
8. NEPRA Complaints Resolution Committee, decision in a FESCO demand-notice case (20 Jan 2026)
9. ProPakistani, FESCO online new connection portal (6 Oct 2020)
10. The News, "LESCO leads Discos with 2,053MW net metering capacity" (24 Jun 2026)