Consumers in Mansehra slam extra surcharges on power bills

MANSEHRA: The inflated electricity bills for July have troubled the domestic and commercial consumers who have demanded the government to withdraw extra surcharges and tariff increases without any delay.

“We have limited income and meet our domestic needs and pay for children’s educational expenses in a difficult situation because of the highest ever inflation in the country but such inflated power bills are out of our reach to pay,” Sadaqat Ali, a local told reporters.

He said the government had frequently been increasing electricity utility tariffs and dispatched exorbitant bills this month for July 2024, which they couldn’t pay.Another local, Mohammad Arif Rajpot, said he received over Rs40,000 electricity bill even without utilising that much power.

“The government should withdraw such an abrupt and unjustified increase in the electricity tariff as we don’t have the financial resources to pay exorbitant bills,” he said.The citizen said that electricity supply remained suspended most of the day but even in such a situation they received huge electricity utility bills.

“If the governments don’t withdraw surcharges and high levies, we will be left with no other options but to disconnect our power supplies,” feared Arif.Mohammad Ayub said that the government announced a relief for those consuming 200 units of electricity but even those who had consumed less power had received the exorbitant bills.

“The government should withdraw tariff increase announced from time to time and pass on 200 units’ relief to every power consumer and bills should be adjusted accordingly,” he suggested.

A commercial consumer, Fayyaz Sulheria said that their business was already suffering owing to the highest inflation in the country and such extra electricity utilities bills fell on them as bombshells.“The prime minister should ensure relief of 200 units to every consumer, even those spending extra of them too,” he said.