ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), in its annual report for 2014-15, has revealed that all power distribution companies sent bills to consumers with wrong figures as they could not meet targets of power generation, transmission and distribution standards.
The report also revealed that electricity shortfalls and loadshedding were artificial as plants were kept closed and unlicensed plants were kept in operation.
Nepra reported that its special teams visited consumers of various distribution companies and found that time-of-use meters of 70 per cent consumers were outdated and out-timed, due to which some consumers were billed at off-peak rates and some at peak rates.
The special teams found 11KV metering rooms in miserable conditions with no protection system. Lines and poles were found in poor condition, one of the reasons for an increased number of interruptions, resulting in non-achievement of reliability standards.
Moreover, the connected load of most domestic, commercial and industrial B-2 consumers was more than sanctioned for them. But no action in the form of issuing notices or extending the load has been taken by distribution companies. Transformers are running 80 to 100pc overloaded because of which frequent tripping was occurring.
Meanwhile, a government official said that the Nepra allowed increase in the losses of distribution companies (Discos) by up to 15.3 percent from 13.03 percent in 2004 in the power tariff, causing a loss of Rs2.1 billion per annum.
