Performance standards for Discos notified

Islamabad has witnessed the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) issuing new performance standards for distribution companies (Discos), marking a significant change after more than two decades. These sweeping standards, set to be enforced even amid ongoing privatization, aim to ensure compliance and elevate service quality.

The new Performance Standards (Distribution) Regulations 2026, released after two years of stakeholder consultations, replace the earlier Discos Performance Rules 2005. For the first time, utilities will face mandatory consumer compensation and hefty fines if they fail to meet strict deadlines for power restoration, meter repairs, voltage stability, new connections, and other services.

Additionally, the standards establish clear key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess Disco performance, crucial for investors anticipating the privatization process. Discos must now operate complaint centers at the circle level and conduct biannual consumer satisfaction surveys with a 98% accuracy rate. They are required to maintain Consumer Facilitation Applications (CFAs) for direct communication with consumers and provide 48-hour advance notice via SMS, email, or digital platforms for planned outages.

Unplanned outages affecting heavy-industrial consumers and certain commercial power consumers must receive 30-minute warnings and real-time restoration updates. Defence establishments remain exempt from unilateral power cuts, with unplanned shutdowns needing mutual agreements. Notably, the standards mandate unplanned outages to be logged into an automated Outage Management System and reported in quarterly filings to the regulator, even during certified grid emergencies.