Govt may sack heads of poorly performing power firms

CEOs of Sukkur, Hyderabad and Quetta companies reprimanded for faulty meter reading

ISLAMABAD: The government may sack heads of three power distribution companies for consumer overbilling and failing to bring improvement and efficiency in the system.

Federal Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari directed on Thursday to issue final warnings and final notices to chief executive officers of Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco), Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) and Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco).

He also gave directives for issuing final warning and show cause notice to Peshawar Electric Supply Company Chief Executive Officer Shabbir Ahmed for failing to comply with the directives regarding accurate meter reading and consumer billing.



The minister issued the directives in a review meeting attended by officials of the Power Division, Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco), Power Information Technology Company (PITC), Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) and other organisations concerned.

Show cause notices were issued to the CEOs of Sepco, Hesco and Qesco for poor performance regarding accurate meter reading through mobile phones and they were directed to fix responsibilities on the poorest performing five sub-division officers under existing rules. The federal minister appreciated the CEOs of Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) and Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) for achieving 99% accuracy in mobile meter reading.

The minister was informed that according to assessment of the first batch of distribution companies in meter reading, Fesco has been able to achieve 99% accuracy, Mepco 99%, Lesco (Lahore) 99%, Gepco (Gujranwala) 98%, Iesco (Islamabad) 98%, Hesco 78%, Sepco 54% and Qesco 55%. However, Pesco (Peshawar) failed to share its data within the stipulated time. The minister expressed displeasure at the performance of CEOs of Qesco and Sepco for not displaying load and other related information on their websites.

Leghari said 100% meter reading of agriculture tube wells in the Mepco region from November 2017 should be achieved through Automated Meter Information (AMI) to ensure 100% accuracy. Already 43,000 AMI meters have been installed in this region for agricultural tube wells.

It was further directed that SMS must be sent to agricultural consumers about meter reading in time so that they should have complete record of their energy consumption.



He also directed that SMS service for consumers for dissemination of information regarding metre reading, bill and electricity related matters be initiated in all DISCOs on the pattern of IESCO’s Roshni services.

The minister underlined the need for developing a smartphone app for power consumers to provide them information about load management, shutdown, etc of their respective feeders besides their own electricity bills.

He was informed that the AEDB and Pepco were working closely for the promotion of net metering system and distribution companies had uploaded necessary information about feeder load, which was necessary for introducing the new system.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2017.

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