PM extends electricity bill payment deadline by 10 days

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) to extend the deadline for electricity bill payments by 10 days, to give relief to the public.

Consequently, the Power Division on Wednesday issued orders to all power distribution companies, including K-Electric, to implement the extension for the July and August 2024 bills.

Prime Minister Sharif issued the directive in consideration of the difficulties faced by electricity consumers, the statement issued by the Power Division said.

Notably, the extension is practically effective for one month. It will benefit the power consumers for the July bills only. For example, if the original due date was August 7, it is now August 17. However, the next month’s August bills, which will be due in September, with the same on 17 September, making it a consistent one-month interval.

Meanwhile, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) reported that it has compiled its report on overbilling issues for the period from April to June 2024. The report indicates that all distribution companies, including K-Electric, were found to be involved in excess billing practices. Nepra has asked for explanations from these companies regarding the issue.

Based on the report, Nepra has decided to issue directives to the distribution companies, including K-Electric. The authority has instructed that customers who were charged based on readings lower than the actual units recorded from April to June 2024 should be adjusted accordingly. Customers who were billed based on incorrect readings and have not yet paid should not be charged late payment surcharges (LPS). Those who have already paid with LPS will also be adjusted, Nepra stated.

To prevent average billing issues, Nepra has mandated the immediate replacement of faulty meters. Additionally, all distribution companies, including K-Electric, are required to adhere to the consumer services manual (CSM) for meter readings. A compliance report on these directives is to be submitted within 30 days.

Notably, last year in July and August 2023, Discos and KE exercised overbilling. The protected tariff status for some users was changed to non-protected due to billing errors in these two months. Nepra had directed these companies to charge consumers based on actual readings instead of excessive or averaged bills, ensuring fair billing practices.