Excess charges: Late IESCO meter readings result in higher bills

Employees say that they are simply following orders

RAWALPINDI: Consumers of Islamabad Electricity Supply Company (Iesco) in the Dhamial sub-division are facing higher-than-normal bills due to belated reading of monthly consumed units, The Express Tribune has learnt.

“I noticed on Tuesday a man taking snapshot of my meter. When I asked the meter reader why you were noting the units on the 15th of the month, the meter reader replied that Iesco official ups had asked them to note units on November 15”, said Muneeb Iqbal, a resident of Iqbal Town near Dhamial.

He said that the Iesco noted units of his meter last month on 10th. He said that late reading of the units lead to inclusion of extra units. The extra unit further leads to higher slabs and higher rates, Muneeb said.



He added that Iesco meter readers usually noted the consumed units before the 5th day of every month.

The Express Tribune visited the Iesco office for Dhamial Sub-Division on Chakri Road, where staff present said that they get orders from senior officials about which dates to record consumed units on.

An official said that recording of units late in the month started some three months ago. He said that the late noting of consumed units provided higher income to the company.

The official, on condition of anonymity said that every day many people coming to their office complained about late meter readings.

Amanat Ali, a consumer present at the office, said that if a consumer wanted to register his complaint, the complaint numbers given on the bills did not respond. He added that when they come to the office, the staff said that they only follow guidelines from higher authorities.

Iesco Spokesperson Raja Asim Nazeer said that if the meter units were recorded on November 15, it is too late in the month. He said that it was wrong on the part of the company in the sub-division.

He added that the Iesco duly issued schedules for billing for every sub-division. The field staff had to follow the schedule. He said that he had to check with relevant authorities regarding the schedule for Dhamial sub-division.

Asked if Iesco had a specific date to record the units every month, the spokesperson said that the meter readers usually noted down the units in early days of the month.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2016.