Inflated electricity bills perturb consumers

ISLAMABAD: The consumers in the federal capital have received inflated electricity bills this month coupled with increased per unit rates and monthly fuel price adjustment.

"In addition to total cost of electricity which was Rs.6,378.38 against 722 units consumed during the month of June, I was charged an additional amount of Rs.72.20 as meter rent, Rs.182 as electricity duty, Rs.332.40 as fuel adjustment, Rs.35 as PTV fee, Rs.1,115 as General Sales Tax and Rs.48 as General Sales Tax Adjustment," told Bilal Khalid a consumer of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) on Sunday.

He said that he made payment of Rs.8,115 against consumed electricity amounting to Rs.6,378.38 saying, a common consumer cannot understand the formula under which all these additional taxes were charged.

Another consumer, Muhammad Imran informed that the inflated electricity bill has affected his entire budget.

Shopkeepers, traders and residents in a number of areas complained that their electricity bills for June were higher by thousands of rupees than the ones for previous months as well as the ones issued for the same months last year.

Moreover, the unannounced and un-scheduled loadshedding has also made the life of common man miserable as their routine life has badly been affected.

Qamar Zaman, another consumer informed that his children have spent several sleepless nights owing to unannounced loadshedding especially at the midnight.

Some government and private employees have also complained that they could not reach their office timely owing to loadshedding in the morning.

The people have asked the concerned authorities to look into the matter of inflated bills and also devise a comprehensive load management strategy and stop unannounced and unscheduled loadshedding. (APP)