Rs213 billion electricity line losses, theft: Peshawar stands on top of list

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was informed in a meeting here on Wednesday that the country sustained a Rs213 billion line losses annually and Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) is at the top of the list on the line losses which are up to 32.6 percent while Sukkur Electric Power Company tops the electricity theft.

PAC also sought the report from the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) over the line losses and power theft in winter and summer. The meeting of the Public Accounts Committee was held with its head Syed Khursheed Shah in the chair in which the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) gave briefing to the committee on the line losses and the electricity theft.

PAC was told that there were 26.2 million electricity consumers, out of which, 86 percent domestic consumers who consume 50 percent of the total electricity generated in the company while 11 percent were commercial users who consume 7.5 percent and 1.3 percent were industrial consumers who consume 24 percent of the electricity.

Pepco officials told PAC that the country sustained line losses of Rs213 billion and Pesco is on the top of the list in the lines losses which were around 32.6 percent while losses due to power theft are at 11.65 per cent, Sesco lines losses are 31.9 percent while the power theft 18.57 percent, the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) losses are at 30.6 per cent and its power theft losses at 12.14 per cent, Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) lines losses at 23.1 percent and its power theft at 1.8 per cent and Lahore Electricity Supply Company (Lesco)’s line losses at 13.8 per cent out of which 1.1 transmission losses while 12 per cent were transmission and technical line losses

The Pepco officials told the committee that Pesco sustained line losses of Rs48 billion, Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) Rs30 billion, Lahore Electricity Supply Company (Lesco) Rs34 billion, Hesco Rs19.69 billion while Sepco line loses of Rs20.41 billion.

PAC member Sheikh Rohail Asghar observed that Nepra has fixed technical line losses at 11.76 per cent, but consumers were suffering due to incompetency of the departments.

PAC Chairman Syed Khursheed Shah said the distribution companies showed losses of Rs500 billion annually, and this burden pass on the people who paid it through their bills despite these losses only due to Wapda incompetency.

PAC sought a detailed report from the electricity distribution companies with regard to power theft by domestic consumers and also directed to replace the 66KV lines with 220KV and grid stations with 500KV.

Giving the details on the net-metering, the Pepco MD told the committee that people did not have the awareness on the net-metering due to which this scheme was not achieve the targets and now the government decided to revise the whole framework on it.

The Pepco MD told the committee that it was now decided that only the qualified vendors of the Alternate Energy Development Board will install the net-metering and SDOs has been appointed in the distribution companies with regard to net-metering. “If any vendor installs sub-standard net-metering to the consumers then the bank guarantee would be confiscated and vendors will also be black listed.

He told the committee that under the new framework, the time period of 30-days has been given for the net-metering system and online tacking is made of all the applications submitted for the net-metering.

The Pepco MD told the committee that the Asian Development Board has approved the loan of Rs01 billion and these meters were planned to install in 10-years time, but these meters were installed for one-third employees so this project has disbanded and now the government was planning to AMI system through private sector.