NEPRA defers KE bills on average basis for a month

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority has deferred bills issued by the K-Electric on an average basis for a month.

"NEPRA came to know through various complaints that K-Electric Limited had issued March 2020 electricity bills on average basis due to Corona situation, which were on much higher side," the regulator said in a statement.

It said the matter was taken up with the KE management. In response, NEPRA said, the KE management decided that consumers having received March 2020 bills on the average basis can pay their dues along with bills for April 2020.

There would be no late payment surcharge on the bills for March 2020, according to the statement.

The bills for the month of April would also be based on the actual meter reading.

Earlier in the day, the KE chief executive officer Monis Abdullah met with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail.

The governor expressed displeasure over average billing by the power distribution company. He said the government would not allow this in any case.

Abdullah assured Governor Ismail that the KE would not issue the bills for April on the average basis.

The power distribution company stopped physical meter readings in Karachi due to the situation arising from the coronavirus pandemic.

It switched to charging people by the average billing method. This method is sanctioned in the Consumer Service Manual of NEPRA.

However, many Karachiites were shocked to find that the amount they owed was many times higher than their last bills.

-- With additional reporting by Faisal Khan.