PESHAWAR, Sept 21: Ineffective customer services of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) coupled with over billing has become nuisance for consumers who are finding it difficult to correct their monthly bills.

Electricity consumers particularly belonging to the rural areas have complained that one-window operation has proved to be unproductive in addressing their genuine grievances relating to over billing and its correction.

They said that the over billing problem was mostly in rural sub divisions of the company including Lala, Gulbela, Daudzai, Warsak, Hazar Khwani and Chamkani, where line losses of Pesco were comparatively high and their correction was also an uphill task.Rahat Gul, a consumer of Lala sub division, told Dawn that his monthly electricity consumption was not more than 200 units, but for the last two months he was paying for 400-450 units that ultimately causing difference in reading of units on bills and those inscribed on the meter.

Mr Gul, a mason by profession, complained that he has been visiting the one-window service centre for bill correction, but each time the officials posted there delete only 100-120 units and advise to pay for the rest of units, which he even did not consumed yet.

A couple of Pesco officials working at these sub-divisional offices conceded that the issue was mostly in rural areas, where power stealing was a common practice.

They said that many consumers in rural areas were using meter-blocking devices through which they consume electricity as much they want, but the meter reading doesn’t exceed from 100-200 units in a month.

They argued if they go by actual reading, the line losses would grow drastically and would make its justification impossible at the company level, thus they have to opt for random meter reading sometimes.

Town-II Naib Nazim Israrullah advocate was also not satisfied with the existing customer support operations of Pesco, saying: “It is ineffective to resolve consumers’ grievances.”

The loadshedding hours in areas locating in Town-II has reduced to some extent, but the issue of over-billing persists, he said.