Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has been overbilling consumers with AMI smart meters, with communication of the meters reportedly stopped and additional units then charged to meet targets.
According to media reports, consumers were billed for units while their meters were effectively muted, and billing adjustments were applied during the inactive period.
Significant discrepancies emerged between the meter readings and the photographic evidence of the meters printed in the bills. Sources said the overbilling began because of unstable line-loss targets set within LESCO.
Consumers are now facing difficulties in paying the exorbitant bills that resulted from the overbilling.
The Speaker of the Punjab Assembly had earlier summoned the Chief Executive Officer over the issue of overbilling at LESCO.
Complaints about overbilling were also raised with LESCO Chief Muhammad Ramzan Butt during a committee meeting. Previously, a crackdown on overbilling was launched on the directives of Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Eliminating overbilling during that crackdown caused the line-loss rate to rise to 15 percent. Complaints of overbilling at LESCO resurfaced once the operations of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) concluded.
Reports then emerged that extra units were being charged to consumers in an effort to continuously reduce the line losses in LESCO.
