Ministry and Board Suspend Two Senior LESCO Officers Over Billing Malpractices and Overbilling

Demonstrating a zero-tolerance stance toward consumer exploitation and billing manipulation, the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) and the Board of Directors of Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) have suspended two senior officers—including a Superintending Engineer (SE) and an Executive Engineer (XEN)—following verified complaints of systematic overbilling.

Findings of the Prime Minister's Vigilance Inquiry

The disciplinary action stems from a detailed forensic audit conducted by the Prime Minister’s Energy Inspection Team in collaboration with NEPRA’s Consumer Protection Directorate. The probe examined thousands of suspicious billing batches across sub-divisions in Northern Lahore and Kasur, where domestic consumers had reported sudden, unexplained jumps in billed consumption.

Investigators discovered that field meter readers, under administrative pressure to suppress reported line loss numbers, had engaged in 'pro-rata slab shifting'—deliberately delaying meter reading dates to 34–36 days. This pushed hundreds of low-income 'Protected Consumers' (who consume under 200 units/month) into expensive non-protected tariff brackets.

Your Rights as a LESCO Consumer: How to Protect Yourself

Under the NEPRA Consumer Service Manual (CSM), electricity consumers in Pakistan enjoy explicit legal protections against arbitrary billing:

• Right to Accurate Photographic Readings: Every LESCO bill must display a crisp, legible photograph of your meter dial taken on the exact date of meter reading. If the photo is blacked out, blurred, or missing, the bill is legally contestable.
• Strict 30-Day Billing Cycle Limit: A standard billing cycle cannot exceed 31 days. If an extended cycle causes you to exceed the 200-unit protected threshold, LESCO is legally required to adjust the excess units back into the lower slab.
• Mandatory Lab Verification for Defective Meters: LESCO line staff cannot declare your meter 'fast' or 'slow' based on visual inspection alone; it must be tested at an accredited M&T laboratory in your presence.

How to Escalate Unresolved Overbilling Disputes

If your local sub-divisional office refuses to correct an inflated bill, follow this escalation ladder:

1. Step 1 - File a Written Dispute at SDO Office: Submit a written application along with your latest meter photograph. Demand a 'Revised Bill' (marked 'Paid Under Protest' if necessary).
2. Step 2 - Escalate to NEPRA Consumer Affairs: File a formal online complaint at nepra.org.pk or call the NEPRA helpline (051-2013200).
3. Step 3 - Approach the Provincial Electric Inspector (PEI): Under Section 38 of the NEPRA Act, the PEI has judicial power to stay disconnections and issue binding corrections on disputed meter readings.
4. Step 4 - Wafaqi Mohtasib (Federal Ombudsman): Submit a complaint to the Federal Ombudsman Regional Office (Queen's Road, Lahore) for speedy, free resolution within 30 days.