Power firms fined Rs10m for failure to restore supply

Capacity constraints, failure to utilise funds blamed for power interruptions

KARACHI: National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) imposed a fine of Rs10 million on two utility firms for their failure to restore supplies for several days to consumers, said a statement issued on Thursday.

A fine of Rs4 million has been imposed on Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) and a sanction of Rs6 million was put on Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO).



The fine was imposed due to their “failure to restore power supply within the prescribed time, failure to provide proper voltage levels, failure to reduce the overloading of power transformers, failure to utilise the amounts/funds and failure to provide correct information regarding interruptions, duration of interruptions and number of complaints,” Nepra said in the statement.

In July-August 2016, a Nepra team conducted a consumers’ survey in the areas being served by GEPCO and SEPCO and came to know that they are being subjected to prolonged un-scheduled electricity outages of more than 16 hours and 14 hours, respectively.  The survey results were found in contradiction to the statements given by top officials of the said utility firms, it said.



It was also observed that transmission system constraint is also one of the reasons of unscheduled power cuts as the system does not have sufficient capacity to carry out maximum load (demand) of the country. Subsequently; consumers are suffering due to voltage fluctuations. “The voltages being received by the consumers in some areas are even below 180V, causing damage to home appliances,” Nepra said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2017.

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