Start with the category on your bill
Protected and unprotected are residential billing categories. A current bill below 200 units does not by itself establish protected status: the preceding consumption history matters. Read the category on your issued bill, confirm that the connection is domestic non-ToU, and then compare the historical unit entries.
The consumption check uses consecutive months, not their average. One higher month cannot be cancelled by a very low month. This worksheet is a way to spot a question for your provider; it does not inspect account records, grant a subsidy or change the category.
Check the six preceding billing months
Check six months of usage
Enter the six billing months immediately before the bill you are checking, then its current units. This checks consumption only.
Use the six months immediately before the bill being checked. Do not enter six randomly selected low months. If a historical entry is missing, obtain the correct record first instead of entering zero. Enter the current bill separately so a current value over 200 is not overlooked.
Why the average can mislead
| Previous monthly units | What the worksheet can conclude |
|---|---|
| 180, 190, 165, 195, 175, 200 | Each previous month is at or below 200. Current usage and account category still need checking. |
| 150, 150, 250, 150, 150, 150 | The average is below 200, but the 250-unit month fails the monthly consumption condition. |
If one high month has just fallen out of the period you are comparing, ask the provider how the current category was applied. Do not assume the change happens on a particular calendar day or that changing a calculator selection updates the official account.
The previous-slab rule changes the calculation
The February 2026 schedule gives protected residential consumers one previous-slab benefit. It does not give that benefit to unprotected residential consumers. Lifeline is another category and has its own conditions; it is not simply a label you select whenever a month is low.
| Named schedule example | Energy calculation | Base subtotal at 2 kW |
|---|---|---|
| Protected, 150 units | 100 × 10.54 + 50 × 13.01 = Rs. 1,704.50 | Rs. 2,304.50 including Rs. 600 fixed charges |
| Unprotected, 150 units | 150 × 28.91 = Rs. 4,336.50 | Rs. 4,936.50 including Rs. 600 fixed charges |
These examples compare calculation methods, not a recommendation to select a cheaper category. Use the base-charge calculator with the category that applies to your account.
If the printed category seems wrong
- Collect the relevant billsRetain all six previous monthly unit entries and the current bill. Note any corrected or estimated reading.
- Describe the specific differenceState what the bill says and which historical entries you think support another category. Avoid sending unrelated personal documents.
- Ask the provider to check the recordUse the official complaint route, retain the case ID and ask for its explanation. Our worksheet cannot overrule that account decision.
Questions you may have
Does one low month make me protected?
No. The prior consecutive history and applicable connection conditions matter; use the official billed category.
Does the tool store my bill history?
No. Its calculation runs locally in the page and does not save the entered values to browser storage or send them to this site.
Sources & scope
The sources below explain the service or rule discussed on this page. Use your provider’s records for an individual account.
- NEPRA / Federal Gazette: S.R.O. 279(I)/2026Notification dated 12 February 2026. Annex A-1, PDF page 18: residential rates and calculation notes.
- NEPRA rationalization decision, 11 February 2026Annex A-1, PDF page 17 (printed 15/51). Use the GoP applicable column, not the determined-cost column.
- NEPRA tariff and adjustment registerCheck newer notifications and the adjustment period; this site’s calculator is a named base-tariff estimate.
- NEPRA subsidy retargeting determination, September 2021Background to the consecutive-month consumption classification; read with the applicable current tariff and provider record.