SUI Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has shown its extra smartness by arbitrarily charging an extra Rs463 in my current gas bill by declaring my gas meter as PUG/slow.

My customer number is 0436089975. The actual gas volume as being recorded each month is one cubic metre only, as my ground floor portion was vacated by my former tenant in November 2019 and is still unoccupied.

SSGC had been charging around Rs230 for the last six months. Then suddenly they charged me an extra Rs463 in my current bill on account of PUG/slow meter. May I ask SSGC higher-ups how did they come to the conclusion that my meter is PUG/slow?

There are multiple reasons for a meter being PUG/slow. SSGC is well aware of the fact that, according to the Oil and Gas Regulating Authority (Ogra), they cannot claim PUG/slow meter charges from a customer unless the meter is removed and taken to their meter testing laboratory and tested in presence of the customer concerned.

If the meter is found slow by more than two per cent then alone can SSGC claim PUG/slow meter charges. In my case, by charging an extra Rs463 without testing the meter, SSGC has violated Ogra regulations.

SSGC is in the habit of claiming PUG/slow meter charges from millions of their customers whenever they notice a drop in volume and thus ignore Ogra’s regulations.

I would urge SSGC to send their billing inspector to check my meter in my presence. I will provide a copy of the K-Electric bill showing zero consumption for my unoccupied ground floor.

After verification that my meter is okay, SSGC should withdraw the extra amount with an apology.

Shakil Ahmed Bokhari
Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2020