A recent report has exposed a massive overbilling scandal in Pakistan’s power sector
Consumers were charged Rs8.44 billion more than they should have been, this overbilling was part of an effort by power distribution companies (DISCOs) to cover their line losses.
The report details significant discrepancies: the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) overbilled Rs1.73 billion, while the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) was responsible for Rs2.39 billion in overcharges. Additionally, Lahore and Islamabad Electric Power Supply Companies were found to have overbilled by over Rs3 billion combined. Other companies, including FESCO, GEPCO, MEPCO, and QESCO, were also implicated in this overbilling scheme.
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) conducted an inquiry and discovered that millions of consumers were overcharged during July and August. NEPRA’s 14-page report highlighted that no power distribution company (Disco) in the country was billing consumers accurately.
The investigation was prompted by widespread complaints of “excessive, inflated, and incorrect bills” during the specified months. NEPRA’s hearings revealed discrepancies between billed amounts and actual meter readings, with some meter snapshots either missing or deliberately omitted.
As a result, NEPRA is taking legal action against K-Electric and other implicated power distribution companies to address the irregularities and hold the responsible parties accountable.
