K-Electric says ‘no’ to charging bills in installments, extends due dates for bills bellow Rs4,000

Contrary to a request made by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in view of the economic pressure on citizens from the coronavirus pandemic and the two-week lockdown that has come into effect in the province today, K-Electric has decided to only extend the due dates of all bills below Rs4,000 till April 10, 2020.

The CM in his lockdown address on Sunday asked the power utility to not collect this month’s bill from consumers whose monthly bills were less than Rs5,000 and charge the amount in installments in the next 10 months.

However, the power utility in a statement said that they would only extend the due dates of all bills below Rs4,000 till April 10, 2020. It also reminded of the provincial and federal governments of its Rs240 billion outstanding bills.

The same instruction was issued by CM Shah to the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) as well. “Consumers whose monthly bill is up to 2,000 should be allowed to pay the amount in 10 installments,” the CM said.

However, the gas company had not issued any statement in this regard till the filing of this story late on Sunday night. The chief minister also said that electricity and gas connections would not be cut off in the next two months. Owners of homes and shops were asked to show flexibility in rent collection.

Shah said he would request the federal government to ensure continuous supplies of gas and fuel to power producers and gas distribution companies.

The KE, in its statement, said it was ensuring business continuity even in these difficult circumstances and had stepped forward to provide relief to customers by ensuring an uninterrupted power supply and exempting critical hospital sites from loadshedding. “The power utility is compelled to emphasise that providing uninterrupted power to Karachi’s citizens is its highest responsibility right now especially as people continue to stay indoors. Discharging this responsibility requires business continuity and the ability to make necessary fuel purchases,” the statement read.

In a time of crisis, the power utility resorted to reminding the provincial and federal governments that for several months the KE’s outstanding dues had ballooned to over Rs240 billion; an unsustainable level which could drastically impact its ability to manage routine operations.

“KE has urgently appealed to both the federal and provincial governments for payments against these outstanding dues so that the power utility can continue service provision,” the statement added.

K-Electric said it would continue to closely monitor the developing situation and remain engaged with relevant authorities to ensure that it could continue to serve its customers and ensure a reliable power supply.