Following Nepra's revelation of over-billing by electricity companies, the Ministry of Energy has now confirmed the occurrence of billing errors affecting millions of consumers. According to the findings of a research committee established by the Power Division, there has been acknowledgment of over-billing by electricity companies, citing issues such as faulty meters and the improper switching of consumer slabs. In response to Nepra's investigative report, the Power Division has compiled its own report admitting to the over-billing discrepancies. However, the report also criticizes Nepra's investigative process, labeling it as flawed and ineffective. Power Division officials pointed out errors in data processing, including lapses in quality control. The Power Division contends that the Nepra team exhibited partiality during their sampling process and failed to consider the operational challenges faced by power companies. According to the Ministry of Energy's investigation committee report, in July, over 4.5 million electricity consumers received bills for more than 31 days.

Shockingly, 4 million consumers were billed for 32 to 34 days. The report from the Power Division concedes that 381,510 consumers were over-billed due to faulty meters. It further reveals that a staggering 4,543,717 consumers received bills for more days than they should have in July. Additionally, 846,468 consumers were adversely affected by changes in billing slabs during the same period. The report highlights that in July, 198,166 customers transitioned from protected to non-protected status, and 11,276 shifted from lifeline to non-lifeline. In August, 5,574,275 consumers received bills for more days than usual, and 8,256,562 were impacted by changes in billing slabs. The research team from the Ministry of Energy concluded that in August, 113,879 consumers moved from protected to non-protected status, while 6,217 moved from lifeline to non-lifeline. As the revelations unfold, the spotlight intensifies on the need for robust oversight and corrective measures within the electricity sector to protect consumers from such billing irregularities.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)