Meter rent
Definition. Meter rent is a small fixed monthly charge for the use and maintenance of the utility-owned metering equipment installed at your premises, billed whether or not any electricity was consumed.
Also called: Meter charges · Service rent · میٹر کرایہ
Where you see it: A small fixed line in the charges block, printed as Meter Rent or M. Rent.
What you are renting
The meter, its enclosure and its seals remain the property of the DISCO. The rent covers replacement on failure, periodic testing and the calibration record.
Rates differ by meter type. A three-phase meter carries a higher rent than a single-phase one, and a bidirectional net-metering meter higher still.
It continues on a zero-unit bill
A locked house that consumed nothing still receives a bill, because meter rent, the television fee and any applicable fixed charges are not consumption-linked.
For a property that will be empty for a long period, a temporary disconnection application is the way to stop those lines accruing.
Frequently asked questions
I paid for the meter myself at connection. Why is there still rent?
Payment at connection is a security deposit and installation cost, not purchase of the device. The meter stays a utility asset, and the rent line reflects that.
Does meter rent stop after a certain number of years?
No. It is a recurring charge for as long as the connection is live, not an instalment plan that eventually completes.
Related terms
- Fixed charges — Why some Pakistani bills carry a charge before a single unit is used, which categories pay it per kilowatt, and how it interacts with sanctioned load.
- PTV licence fee — The fixed television fee on your electricity bill: what it funds, which connections are exempt, and why owning no television does not remove it.
- Smart meter — What Pakistan's AMI rollout changes for a consumer, what a smart meter can and cannot do, and whether smart meters really produce higher bills.
Go further
Back to the full 44-term glossary, or open your own bill with the reference number lookup.