Lights out: DHA residents lose appliances due to fluctuation

If you don’t want your appliance to burn out, use a distribution box, suggests K-Electric

KARACHI: Home appliances worth millions of rupees were burnt due to fluctuation in electricity in Defence Housing Authority’s Phase VI last week.

“The issue started last Monday morning when there was severe power fluctuation in the whole area,” said Qasim Khan, a resident of Phase VI. “We called their complaint cell numbers and emailed them [K-Electric] as well but received no response.” He added that due to these frequent fluctuations, most of their home appliances stopped working completely.

Another resident, Ibrahim, said that their internal security system, LCD TV, deep freezer, generator and other valuable appliances were burnt beyond use. He added that they could not make claims for the appliances from the utility service either. Malik Amjad, a resident, said that the default started from Street 33 of Phase VI. He claimed that this meant that it was not a failure in the internal wiring system or the illegal kundas.

“This is a failure of the K-Electric and their power distribution system,” he said. “They must compensate all those who have suffered. We have lost appliances worth millions because of this.”

According to the K-Electric spokesperson, however, the power utility cannot be blamed. He claimed that power fluctuations only happen in areas where residents don’t regularise their power loads or use illegal connections. He added that electricity fluctuations were common as people openly used kundas or were using extra electricity without informing them.

“In posh areas, the residents do not regularise their electricity loads and do not install distribution boxes,” he said. “This is why fluctuation takes place.” He added that a distribution box is something everyone should have as it maintains the voltage and electricity load.

The spokesperson claimed that if there is a fault in the fluctuation, the distribution box will automatically switch off. He said that there were houses, which were regularised for four air-conditioners but were using eight without a distribution box. This, he added, meant that there would be a lot of fluctuation.

When the KE team arrived for the repairs on Tuesday evening, their supervisor demanded the residents pay Rs10,000 each to get the new meters installed, claimed another resident.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2015.