The government extends the bill payment deadline by 10 days

• The Electricity Directorate instructs all DISCOs to extend the deadline.
• One month extension for the benefit of consumers for July bills.
• Nepra says all DISCOs involved in excessive billing practices.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed to extend the electricity bill payment deadline by 10 days, aiming to provide relief to the stressed public.

According The newsthe Chief Minister instructed the Ministry of Power to issue an extension after which the Electricity Directorate directed all electricity distribution companies including K-Electric to implement the extension for the July and August 2024 bills.

The chief minister’s directives came in light of the difficulties faced by electricity consumers who remain under the pressure of paying inflated electricity bills, the Electricity Department said in a statement.

The extension is valid for one month and will benefit electricity consumers only for their July bills. For example, if the original July bill due date was August 7th, it has now been extended to August 17th. The extension will also apply to August bills, which will now be paid on September 17. This creates a consistent interval between expiration dates.

Meanwhile, the National Electricity Regulatory Authority (Nepra) said it has compiled its report on overcharging issues for the period from April to June 2024.

The report said that all distribution companies, including K-Electric, were found to be involved in excessive pricing practices. Nepra has sought an explanation from these companies on the matter.

Nepra, based on the report, has decided to issue directions to the distribution companies, including K-Electric. The authority has instructed that customers who were billed 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 measurements 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 said.

To avoid problems on average billing, Nepra has asked for immediate replacement of the faulty meters.

Additionally, all distribution companies, including K-Electric, are required to adhere to the consumer service manual (CSM) for meter readings. A compliance report on these guidelines must be submitted within 30 days.

Specifically, last year in July and August 2023, Discos and KE engaged in overcharging. The protected billing status for some users was changed to unprotected due to billing errors in these two months.

Nepra had directed these companies to bill consumers based on actual readings instead of excess or average bills, ensuring fair billing practices.