Power bill hike riles citizens

Rising petrol expenses adding to financial pressure on households

LAHORE:

Consumers of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) have complained of sharp increases in their electricity bills, with some saying their dues have doubled compared with the previous month.

Several consumers said they had received bills significantly higher than those paid in the preceding month despite no significant increase in their electricity consumption. They questioned the basis for the increases and said the higher bills had placed an additional financial burden on already stretched household budgets.

One consumer, Muhammad Irshad, said he had paid around Rs18,000 for electricity in the previous month, but the latest bill amounted to Rs36,354. "I paid Rs18,000 last month, but this month I have received a bill of over Rs36,000. I cannot understand how the amount has doubled," he said.

Another consumer, Rafiq Qureshi, said, "I live in a one-room portion, yet LESCO has sent me a bill of Rs10,000. It is extremely difficult for an ordinary consumer to pay such a high bill."

Consumers also raised concerns over disconnection notices appearing on their electricity bills.

They said many bills carried a prominent warning that consumers must clear their dues before the due date or face disconnection of their electricity supply.

"The disconnection notice is printed on the bill and consumers are warned that their connection will be removed if they fail to pay by the due date," a consumer said.

The complaints come amid broader concerns over the rising cost of living, with consumers also pointing to the high cost of petrol as another factor making it increasingly difficult for households to manage their monthly expenses.

Citizens argue that higher petroleum prices have a direct impact on household budgets as well as the cost of transportation and other daily expenses.

They questioned the government's policy of passing on increases in international crude oil prices to domestic consumers.

The government has maintained that changes in petroleum prices reflect the impact of fluctuations in crude oil prices in the international market. The consumers, however, argue that the burden could be reduced if the government lowered what they describe as an unjustifiably high Petroleum Development Levy (PDL) on products.

They say the government should consider reducing the levy instead of passing the full burden of higher international oil prices on to consumers, particularly when households are already struggling with high electricity bills and other expenses.

The consumers also demanded greater transparency in the electricity billing process and urged LESCO to review bills where charges appeared disproportionately high compared with previous months.