Consumers complain of overbilling by Lesco

LAHORE: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) has charged many consumers up to 100 extra units in electricity bills for June – on an average increasing the billed amount by Rs1,000.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, complainants said that the meter reading showed that they had been charged for 50 to 100 extra units.

Shahbaz Akmal, a Township resident, told The Express Tribune that Lesco had billed him Rs4,300 for 490 units.

“The meter read 400 units. My bill therefore should come to Rs3,500. Hence, I’ve been overcharged Rs800.”

Akmal said his bill was corrected upon contacting the local Lesco office. Saying his neighbours were facing a similar problem, he said, “Lesco high-ups should keep a vigilant eye on their meter readers to spare consumers some trouble.”

Another consumer, Abdul Wasif, who received the electricity bill a day before the due date, said that Lesco deliberately done this to keep him from getting it corrected.

Javed Khan, a Lesco public relations deputy director, said if consumers have complaints regarding overbilling, they should contact the customer-care offices. “The bills will be corrected immediately”, he assured.

Commenting on his remarks, Razzaq Shah, another consumer, said the Lesco officials should instead take and note correct readings.

“It should not be our job to leave our work to go to customer-care office in order to get bills corrected.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2010.