Off-Peak Electricity Hours in Pakistan: Who Benefits and How

Off-peak electricity pricing sounds like a simple money-saver, but in Pakistan it only applies to a specific subset of consumers on Time-of-Use (TOU) meters. Most domestic households are on a flat-rate tariff and pay the same per-unit price at 2 AM as they do at 8 PM. Understanding which category you're in determines whether off-peak strategies will actually reduce your bill.

Who Actually Has Peak/Off-Peak Pricing?

NEPRA's Time-of-Use tariff applies primarily to large commercial and industrial consumers and to some domestic consumers with three-phase connections above a threshold sanctioned load. The standard residential single-phase A-1 tariff — which covers the vast majority of Pakistani homes — is a flat-rate slab system with no time differentiation.

Check your bill for a 'TOU' or 'ToU' designation, or look for separate 'peak units' and 'off-peak units' readings. If you see only a single units figure, you are on a flat tariff and peak/off-peak pricing does not apply to you.

• Single-phase A-1 domestic: flat slab rate — no peak/off-peak difference
• Three-phase A-2 domestic (larger homes): may have TOU metering
• B tariff (commercial): typically TOU-metered
• C industrial: TOU with demand charges
• Solar net-metering consumers: may have TOU implications for export credit calculation

When Are Peak and Off-Peak Hours?

Under NEPRA's current residential and commercial TOU schedule, peak hours run from 7 PM to 11 PM (four hours per evening). Off-peak covers the remaining 20 hours — from 11 PM through 7 PM the following day. These times apply 365 days a year; there is no weekend or seasonal variation in the standard schedule.

During peak hours, electricity costs more per unit. During off-peak hours, it costs less. The difference between peak and off-peak rates under NEPRA's schedule is significant enough to make load shifting worthwhile for heavy users.

How to Shift Load to Off-Peak Hours

Load shifting means moving electricity-intensive activities from peak hours (7–11 PM) to off-peak hours (11 PM–7 PM), without reducing total consumption. The bill goes down because you're doing the same work at a lower rate.

• Washing machine: run it before 7 PM or after 11 PM — a scheduled timer on your power strip or a machine with a delay-start function works well
• Dishwasher (if you have one): same approach, delay-start after 11 PM
• Water pump: fill overhead tanks in the morning or afternoon rather than evening
• Electric geyser: heat water in the morning (before 7 PM) and insulate the tank to retain heat through the evening
• EV charging (electric motorcycles/cars): set to charge overnight after 11 PM
• Large appliance loads: ironing, oven use, and any heavy kitchen work is better timed before 7 PM
• Air conditioning: pre-cool the bedroom to 22–23°C before 7 PM, then switch to 26°C or use fan-only mode during the peak window

What About Domestic Flat-Rate Consumers?

If you're on the standard A-1 flat tariff, peak/off-peak pricing doesn't directly apply — but timing still matters for different reasons. Running high-wattage appliances in the early morning or afternoon reduces strain on the national grid, which affects load shedding schedules in your area. This isn't a direct financial benefit but it's a practical consideration for those areas where load shedding correlates with evening peak demand.

For flat-rate consumers, the more relevant target is the monthly slab threshold. Spreading heavy use evenly through the month (rather than a last-week spike before the meter is read) doesn't change your bill — the meter accumulates the same total — but it gives you a more predictable bill and avoids the shock of discovering a slab jump on the final days.

Solar and Off-Peak Interaction

For net-metered solar consumers on TOU connections, the off-peak/peak distinction is especially important. Solar panels generate electricity during daylight hours, which falls almost entirely within off-peak periods (7 AM–7 PM). Export credits earned during off-peak hours may be valued differently from those earned during peak hours under some DISCO implementations of the net-metering rules.

Separately, if you have solar and want to maximize self-consumption, run high-wattage appliances (washing machine, water pump, geyser) during the sunniest midday hours when your panels are generating at peak output — this is cost-free from the grid's perspective and avoids buying peak-rate electricity later.

How to Request a TOU Meter

If you have a three-phase connection and believe a TOU tariff would benefit you (because most of your consumption is outside 7–11 PM), contact your DISCO's commercial office and request a TOU meter installation. The process involves an inspection and a formal tariff change. Your DISCO may or may not approve it based on your load profile and meter availability.

Before requesting, estimate your own peak vs off-peak split for a month — if more than 70% of your consumption is off-peak, TOU metering is likely to reduce your bill. If you run heavy evening loads (particularly AC), it could increase it.