August 30, 2008	Saturday	Sha'aban 27, 1429

KARACHI, Aug 29: While the power crisis in the city has aggravated owing to the deteriorating generation and transmission capacity of the KESC, its foreign managers are imposing penalties on consumers in violation of Nepra rules.

Recently the KESC sent such notices to many consumers under Sections 39, 39-A, 44 and 26–A of the Electricity Act of 1910.

The utility in its notices said that the electricity consumption of the consumers was not in accordance with the use of supply and, therefore, their meter was replaced and tested at the utility’s laboratory, and according to the report of the meter department, certain discrepancies, such as meter body damage, were noticed.

There is also a complaint that KESC staff does not notify any discrepancies to consumers while taking reading from the meters installed outside the premises of the consumers.

Many KESC consumers in their written response to the utility have contested the company’s claims, saying that the sections invoked by the utility do not cover such faults. A notice was served on a consumer six months after the removal of the meter.

They asked why it took the company so long to take up the issue, and questioned what the meter reader was doing all these months. They also asked the utility whether its staff bothered to get the discrepancies verified from the consumer when the meter was being removed. The affected consumer also asked what the meter reading was at the time of its removal and where it was recorded.

Affected consumers have also referred to the Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution Act 1997, and Section 39, clause 5(e) of Nepra, Consumer affairs division, meter and billing in which it is clearly stated that the case of faulty meter does not come under the utility’s purview. The relevant section says: “It is not the DISCO (distribution companies) which should be checking and giving verdict for the correctness of the meters. The disputes of the faulty meters should be referred to electric inspectors who should be adequately equipped to check the correctness or otherwise of meters, and their report should be taken as final. Nepra has to periodically assess the effectiveness of inspections”.

Under 5(b), “consumers will seek the intervention and assistance of Nepra who will ask the licencees to explain reasons for unscheduled shutdowns and breakdowns. This may be due to poor construction and overloading of the system and equipment”. But despite everyday complaints and protests by electricity consumers, neither Nepra has fulfilled its obligations, nor has the government acted to protect consumers’ rights. On the contrary, it is hinting at open-ended permission to the owners of the utility to raise tariff “to meet the rising cost of fuel”.

Nepra has to keep a window open to the public for resolving complaints where the licencees are not adhering to the standards. But Nepra has also failed to act in terms of 5(c&d) of the said section.

No KESC spokesman was available to answer Dawn’s queries.