THE National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has substantiated reports/complaints about the deplorable practice of over-billing of consumers by distribution companies (Discos) to cover up their inefficiencies and high system losses. In its “State of Industry Report 2019” the regulator says Discos are still involved in systematic manipulation of the electricity units to manage their distribution losses which are factually higher. NEPRA has also warned that backtracking from the reform agenda and not following it in letter and spirit would leave the power sector in complete tatters and the negative drag of public sector resulting from poor governance would not only bring the sector down but also result in further slow-down of the overall economy of the country.
The issue of over-billing is there since long and the abhorring practice has not ended despite claims by the successive governments to have introduced measures aimed at transparency in billing. NEPRA has understandably talked about Discos but this is also true of gas companies as their consumers too are fleeced through inflated bills and that too deliberately. This is evident from the fact that almost one in five consumers of gas are receiving bills worth thousands of rupees during peak summer season when use of gas is strictly confined to kitchens and that too for limited time. It has rightly been pointed out by NEPRA that this is done deliberately to cover up inefficiency of power and gas companies that have miserably failed to improve system to bring down losses or prevented large-scale theft that usually takes place with the connivance of the officials concerned. Simple folks suffer financially as they pay the bills for fear of disconnection while time and energy of others is wasted in visiting offices of Discos and gas companies for correction. All this is happening despite the fact that both the electricity and gas companies take snapshot of meters of consumers, which appears on the relevant bill. That all this is happening wilfully is evident from lack of any disciplinary action against meter readers who indulge in the practice of collecting wrong data. Many meter readers also do not bother to visit premises and prepare bills on the basis of self-estimation, which is always on the higher side. PTI Government has been championing the cause of transparency and findings of NEPRA are fit case for it to take cognizance of.
