The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has announced its decision to initiate legal proceedings against distribution companies (DISCOs) that are allegedly charging excessive and illegal bills to consumers through unauthorized practices.
NEPRA expressed its concern over the deliberate malpractices carried out by DISCOs to conceal inefficiencies, resulting in higher electricity bills for thousands of consumers.
An inquiry by NEPRA found that billing cycles conducted by different DISCOs extended beyond 30 to 40 days, surpassing the billing period specified in the tariff terms and conditions. This non-compliance led to overbilling during July and August 2023.
The inquiry also revealed that due to the non-replacement of defective meters, consumers were charged on an average basis for more than two months, and in some cases, for one to three years or even more than three years. NEPRA criticized DISCOs for not replacing defective meters promptly, as it could have allowed for accurate calculations of losses.
NEPRA’s findings suggested that distribution companies intentionally used tactics to charge electricity bills on an average basis, potentially causing losses to consumers or the national exchequer.
Multiple discrepancies were identified in a significant number of bills, including issues such as invalid snapshots, missing meter date or reading, bills without snapshots, mismatches between snapshots and bills, discrepancies in readings, late posting of Meter Change Orders (MCO) or Service Connection Orders (SCO), and double unit charging during periods of defective meters.
NEPRA’s decision to take legal action aims to address these concerns and prevent such malpractices in the future.
