I LIVE in a room in Ranchore Line where 10-12 hours of loadshedding is but normal. My average bill has never exceeded 120 units for the past several years. However, in May, I became the victim of illegal overbilling and received a bill of Rs22,802 for electricity consumption of 439 units from K-Electric (KE).

When I lodged a complaint (Ticket No 8020218000), I was told that the reason for overbilling was the non-availability of KE meters in the building, which comprised five one-room tenements. In a fire incident in early April, all the meters, including the main one, had been destroyed. After being informed about the matter, the KE team had restored the power with the promise that new meters would be installed soon.

All the tenants could do was to submit the relevant application forms for the installation of new meters, which they did. In response, the KE team surveyed the building at least five times, but the result remained negative. The last such survey was conducted on June 11. Now, I have again received a bill for 784 units amounting to Rs52,703, which is as illogical as it is ridiculous for a one-room tenement.

To have the issue resolved, I have lodged a complaint with the office of the ombudsman twice, and have been waiting for the relevant staff to show some mercy towards me. Let us see what happens next.

Farooq Azam Fareed
Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2024