4, April 2005	Monday	24 Safar 1426

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LAHORE, April 3: Citizens have complained about receiving exorbitant bills of natural (Sui) gas towards the end of winter season, with the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited authorities apt to blame ‘faulty consumption pattern’ of the people rather than reading errors or a policy mistake.

Most of the 80,000 consumers in Lahore have received double, in some cases even triple, the usual amounts. They accuse meter readers, almost 900, of missing a month or two and then sending cumulative bills, thus, imposing on them a high slab.

“All utility organizations have developed a habit of delaying reading of meters till figures reach the highest slab of billing and then dispatching bills to consumers,” according to one of the affected citizens.

“Our entire locality (Wapda Town) has got bills containing double the amount they have to pay every month. It may not be a policy decision of the SNGPL higher-ups, but it is certainly a lapse on the part of the lower billing staff.”

The most unfortunate part is that the reading mentioned in the bills match the one recorded in the meters. “That means, the billing staff must have been sending bills on an average consumption without actually reading the metres. At the end of the winter season, they have moved to recover all the arrears in one go. This is consumers fidgety,” he said.

According to another consumer, the company has four slabs of billing. It charges first HM3 (100 cubic metres) at a rate of Rs73, second MH3 at Rs120, third at Rs192 and fourth at the rate of Rs251. “It suits the SNGPL both economically and administratively to wait till the bulk of its consumers start falling in the next slab of billing and then recover money — getting much higher price for the same amount of consumption,” he says.

They company, according to the complainant, may have an explanation for it but it certainly is not doing anything about it because of economic benefit that the current policy offers it.

“It is very easy for the company to pass the buck on consumption habits of consumer, but it should also realize that no one wants to pay more and later lament,” says a resident of Gulberg.

“After all, people consume natural gas throughout the year and why they make noises at the end of winter season every year. The fault certainly lies with the company, which is trying to deflect the blame,” he insists.

Sagheerul Hassan, the SNGPL billing in-charge, however, has his explanation to offer. He claims: “If the company sends routine bills throughout the year, why it should be sending wrong bills in particular months of the year. The company purchases gas from the government and sells it to people, keeping certain charges for distribution. It keeps the sale-purchase record for each month and any dichotomy can be immediately known to the higher-ups.

“Trouble lies with people’s consumption pattern. They must realize that three times increase in consumption translates into a six-fold increase in billing.”

He said: “According to the current billing ratio, 24-hour running of one geyser costs Rs4,000. The company reminds this simple fact to all its consumers in every winter, but the latter turn a deaf ear till bills hit them. This follows protests by people.”

He said every meter reader was given an electronic device every month to enter reading from his locality. And every month, the previous data is removed from the devise. So, it is not possible for a reader to record fictitious data without going to the site.

Still, there may be a few incidents of wrong reading which could be corrected on simple intimation to the company. But, there cannot be gross mishandling nor is it a policy matter,” he insisted.