Average bill
Definition. An average bill is issued when the meter could not be read for a cycle, and the units are estimated from the account's own recent consumption history rather than measured.
Also called: Estimated bill · Assessed reading · AVG
Where you see it: Marked next to the reading — commonly 'A', 'AVG' or 'ASSESSED' — where a normal bill would show a status code for a taken reading.
Why a reading gets missed
A locked gate, a meter behind a padlocked box, an aggressive dog, a reader who could not complete the route in a storm — the mundane reasons account for most of them.
Meters installed inside a house rather than on an outside wall are estimated far more often, which is the practical argument for having the meter moved to an accessible position.
The self-correcting mechanism
An estimate is never final. When the meter is next actually read, the system compares the true cumulative reading against everything already billed and settles the difference in that cycle.
So an under-estimate produces a large bill the following month, and an over-estimate produces a credit. Neither is a new charge; it is the same units, re-allocated to the right cycle.
The slab problem with estimates
The catch is slab pricing. Two months of low estimates followed by one true reading of double the units can push that third month into a much higher slab than either real month would have reached on its own.
Where a consecutive run of estimates causes this, the sub-divisional office can re-spread the units across the affected cycles. Ask for it explicitly; it is not applied automatically.
Frequently asked questions
How many months can a DISCO estimate in a row?
Consecutive estimation is meant to be exceptional and to trigger an inspection, not to become the normal pattern. Two estimates in a row is a reason to complain in writing; three is a reason to escalate.
Can I submit my own reading to avoid an estimate?
Some DISCOs accept a self-reading with a dated photograph of the meter at the customer services counter or through their consumer app. It is not universally supported, but where it is, it is the cleanest fix.
Related terms
- Meter reading — How to read a Pakistani electricity meter correctly, which digits to ignore, and how to check the reading printed on your bill against the device on your wall.
- Detection bill — How Pakistani DISCOs calculate detection charges, the notice and inspection rights that come with them, and the Electric Inspector route for challenging an assessment.
- Billing month — Why a bill labelled July mostly covers June usage, how the offset changes what tariff applies, and what that means when you compare two bills.
- Slab rate — How to read the slab table printed on the back of your bill, which slab your units land in, and the difference between marginal and re-priced slab billing.
Go further
Back to the full 44-term glossary, or open your own bill with the reference number lookup.