ISLAMABAD: National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) while issuing an inquiry report into the over-billing matter of all power distribution companies (DISCOs) including K-Electric on Monday said that distribution companies have been deliberately committing malpractices to cover up their inefficiencies, which has led to wrong and excessive billing to thousands of consumers, especially domestic.
DISCOs also failed to collect electricity bills as per tariff terms and conditions approved by the authority, according to the report issued by NEPRA.
The report said that the companies sent false detection bills to the customers in violation of provisions of the consumer service manual, the official news agency reported.
NEPRA had constituted an investigation team comprising three senior officers after receiving a large number of complaints from the consumers against DISCOs and K-Electric for over-billing and wrong meter readings in the monthly bills for July and August 2023.
The committee scrutinised the consumer complaints and visited the offices of the concerned DISCOs to submit a comprehensive report to the authority, it further said.
The committee found that 5.7 million Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) consumers were charged for more than 30 days of the billing cycle in the month of July followed by Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) i.e., around 1.2 million in August. Similarly, Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) i.e., more than 800,000 in August, Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) around 700,000 in both months, and Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) more than 500,000 in the month of July.
This resulted in the change of slab from lower to higher, change of status from protected to un-protected, and change of status from life-line to non-life line for thousands of consumers.
Millions of consumers suffered due to an over 30-day billing period cycle, the NEPRA report said.
The DISCOs sent average billing to the consumers without meter readings and printing photo snaps on the bills besides the timely replacement of faulting meters. The authority has decided to take legal action against DISCOs, including K-Electric, in light of the report.
The authority has given a 30-day deadline to DISCOs to replace the faulty meters as soon as possible and correct the wrongly charged bills, failing which strict legal action would be taken, said a statement issued by NEPRA.
The authority also served notices on DISCOs and K-Electric seeking explanation.
