LAHORE: Reacting sharply to a letter of Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission claiming that distribution companies (Discos) have installed new meters which run at least 30-35 per cent faster than the old ones, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Water and Power has termed it “unauthorised, pre-mature and presumptive”.

Questioning the source of the assertion, the spokesperson said that the commission should have substantiated how it had arrived at this conclusion. The cabinet has already ordered audit of Discos on overbilling, which is still under process.

Know more: New power meters are 30-35pc faster than old ones: commission

“Before the conclusion of the audit, no individual or institution should comment on the situation, leave alone draw conclusions,” he insisted.

According to preliminary results of the audit, there has been no change in bills of 67 per cent consumers. Some 17 per cent belong to the high (over 700 units) consumption category and they have also not reported any change in the bills. Only 16 per cent falling between 300 and 700 units category have suffered slab burst.

Their higher slabs were because of excessive usage, rather than overbilling. During the holy month of Ramazan and Eid holidays, the sector provided 18 per cent extra electricity to avoid loadshedding. It generated power even through highly expensive plants like Nandipur, where it cost over Rs40 per unit, the spokesperson says.

All this was done to avoid loadshedding. Because of this additional supply, people used more power and bills were catapulted in higher slabs, he added.

But these are only preliminary results and one should not reach any conclusive position. Once the audit results arrive which may take another week or so, things would become clear. In the meantime, neither any individual nor institution was authorised to draw its own conclusions or go public with them, he concluded.

Published in Dawn, October 25th , 2014