Energy Minister orders action against DISCOs for sending extra and wrong bills to consumers

In case meter speed proves slow, recovery will be limited to only two billing cycles, instructions of Awais Leghari

Islamabad: Energy Minister Awais Leghari took strict notice of DISCOs (power distribution companies) putting extra and wrong bills to consumers in head of detection and strictly warned that in future no consumer should be given wrong detection bill.

According to Express News, important meeting of Board of Directors of DISCOs was held under chairmanship of Energy Minister in which Federal Minister officially issued instructions for implementing strict and comprehensive reform framework. He clarified that prevention of electricity theft is undoubtedly national priority but arbitrary burden on innocent citizens cannot be allowed at all. Under this framework, discretionary powers of field staff are being made completely bound by regulation so that public gets protection and at same time no obstacle is created in way of officers who perform duties honestly against electricity theft.

In light of instructions of Federal Minister, Power Division is binding all DISCOs that now detection billing will be done only through central online portal of PITC. Complete ban has been imposed on issuance of manual and arbitrary detection bills by field staff or SDOs. Process of putting bills manually will be officially considered serious misconduct on which strict disciplinary action will be taken against concerned officers and officials and major punishments will be given.

Under framework, proposals for comprehensive amendments in Consumer Service Manual will also be presented in next few days so that every step can be bound to specific and clear duration. Under new framework, it has been made mandatory to replace faulty or burnt meters immediately or within maximum two billing cycles while during this period burden of average billing will also be limited to only two months.

In case meter speed proves slow or fast, recovery or credit adjustment will be strictly limited to previous two billing cycles. Similarly, bringing duration of detection billing also into clear regulation, proposal has been given to fix duration of detection bill for general consumers at three billing cycles on illegal use. For registered consumers maximum limit of detection will be limited to 6 months while for unregistered consumers up to 12 months.

Under reform system, Board of Directors of DISCOs and their Customer Services Committees have been ordered that they themselves will regularly review in detail every month correctness, transparency and legitimate recovery of detection bills.

Federal Minister Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari has reiterated resolve that aim of government is to make electricity sector consumer-friendly and ensure complete accountability at every level. Protection of rights of consumers is top priority and no one will be allowed to economically exploit public by going above law and rules and regulations.

It is clear that Detection Bill is that bill consisting of additional charges or units which power distribution companies send to consumer when there is issue of tampering in meter, electricity theft, meter running slow, or violation of law.