I AM a single-occupant residential consumer of K-Electric (KE) in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area. It is shocking to receive the KE bills over last three months from the exploitative elements occupying its management and administrative control.

In essence, the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) had been privatised with two major conditions; to inject $1,100 million to install one new turbine, and to improve the transmission and distribution network. Instead, KE chose to get involved in exploitative policies.

I have been out of Pakistan since the last week of May, and my electricity bills for the last three months are nothing but mindboggling. According to KE, in April, I consumed 209 units and it sent me a bill for Rs8,846. Im May, I was charged Rs10,448 for using 251 units, and, to my utter shock, I have been asked to pay Rs17,958 for June against a consumption of 142 units.

Any sane person reading this would be intrigued as to what rules of business have been applied to calculate electricity consumed when the consumer is not even in the country, and what is the yardstick for generating such bills. Apparently, KE has been given a free hand to apply any formula to fleece the consumer.

Ali Ashraf Khan
London, UK

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2024