Staff Reporter
After an abundance of consumers filed complaints against overbilling by Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) in gas utility charges, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has on Tuesday authorized Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP) to inspect meter readings and determine if there’s a discrepancy.
According to the details reported on the matter, OGRA has brought in HDIP to oversee the complaints made by consumers and inspect if indeed there’s an anomaly in gas consumed and bill charged.HDIP will, however, inspect these bills in collaboration with the gas company and only after a complaint has been made by a consumer in the same matter.
OGRA said that there had been a persistent case of consumers lodging complaints of overbilling which prompted the regulatory body to outsource HDIP to inspect meters.
The regulator has rolled out this measure in view of its Natural Gas Distribution (Technical Standards) Regulation 2019.
It may be noted that in the past SSGC has wrongfully footed bills of millions to consumers owing to faults in meter readings.
Separately earlier today, the Sindh’s bureau of supply and prices has Tuesday written a letter to all the divisional commissioners across the province wherein instructing them to take actions against abrupt price hike in fresh milk prices after dairy farmers announced an overnight increase of Rs20 in fresh milk/litre prices.
The letter said that Special Assistant to Chief Minister (SACM) Sindh has expressed serious concern over “deliberate price hike of fresh milk throughout the province”.
