KE, NEPRA put on notice over excess billing

Court moved against collection of fuel adjustment charges, other taxes in electricity bills

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued notices to National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) and K-Electric (KE) to respond to a petition against excess billing.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi heard the petition filed by Jamat-e-Islami Karachi Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman against K-Electric regarding the collection of fuel adjustment charges (FAC) and taxes in electricity bills.

The petitioner's counsel, Usman Farooq Advocate, argued that K-Electric should be restrained from overbilling and collection of fuel adjustment charges.

The counsel during his arguments requested the court that KE should also be restrained from charging sales tax, income tax, TV licence fee and other charges in electricity bills. He added that a forensic audit of K-Electric accounts should be conducted.

The court, by issuing notices to NEPRA and KE ordered them to submit their reply by September 9.

The petition further said that K-Electric should be restrained from illegal power cuts and load-shedding especially at night and it should be ordered to generate its own electricity as per the agreement signed with the federal government.

It was also stated in the petition that the court should order K-Electric to increase its power generation capacity.