ISLAMABAD: Reports revealed that the power distribution companies (DISCOs) had overbilled their consumers on more than one occasion since January 2021 and deprived the consumers of their hard earned money.
The DISCOs throughout the country have been overbilling their users since January this year, with some going as far as issuing bills for 35 to 37 days in a single month.
Marriyum Aurangzeb, spokesperson of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Sherry Rehman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader censured the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) and the government for “looting” people.
“Everything has gone to shambles under Imran Khan’s rule,” said Marriyum Aurangzeb.
NEPRA and the federal government are “complicit” in plundering people, said Sherry Rehman.
PML-N spokesperson criticizing the government said that sending power bills for 36-37 days every month for the past eight months is equivalent to “robbing people in broad daylight”. “The people are being robbed in every possible way,” she added.
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Imran Khan, Aurangzeb asked if such tactics had been devised by the premier’s “criminal mind”.
Continuing to slam the government, Aurangzeb said that everything has gone to shambles “under Imran sahab’s rule”.
The PML-N spokesperson added that similar incidents have been reported for gas bills before.
PPP leader Sherry Rehman also criticised how the power companies are “looting people of hundreds of millions of rupees” by bending the rules.
She said that both NEPRA and the federal government are “complicit” in plundering people.
Rehman further condemned the government and NEPRA for “being silent” on the matter. She said that NEPRA has “failed to abide by its own rules and regulations”.
“Power companies are robbing the poor of even the subsidies provided to them,” she lamented.
Reports stated that bills issued by Karachi’s K-Electric (KE), Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO), Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO), Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO), Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) have revealed the all realities. But nothing has been done in this regard.
The reports revealed that a number of power companies had billed their customers for more than the allowed 31 days in one month on more than one occasion since January 2021.
The overbilling is a gross violation of a key condition set by NEPRA in its agreement with each of these power distribution companies, which states that all tariffs for the residential customers are applicable only on a maximum billing period of 31 days.
However, despite being alerted to the issue, NEPRA, took a lax approach, and stated that it will only address individual cases of overbilling when they are filed through its consumer complaint channel.
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