The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has sent inflated bills to citizens, already suffering from massive load shedding, putting an extra burden on their pockets, consumers told Pakistan Today on Saturday. Residents of Johar Town, Faisal Town, Township, Green Town, College Road and Shalimar areas sub-division received bills with at least 100 to 150 extra units, which resulted in an increase of Rs 1,000 to 1,800 to their monthly bills, citizens said. Consumers said that they contacted the sub-division to inform about the problem but did not get any positive response. “I have received a bill with 390 units worth Rs 3,600 and when I checked the meter and calculated, I found out that only 280 units were consumed,” shopkeeper Muhammad Iqbal at Green Town said adding that he contacted the sub-division but was told to deposit the bill or else he would be fined. “They told me to deposit the amount first and then lodge a complaint,” he lamented.
Citizens said that they were given only three days to deposit the bill. “LESCO has sent bills at the eleventh hour so that consumers get less time in depositing the bill,” citizen Rehmat Ali said. Another consumer Wasim Akhtar said that he received the bill only one day before the last date and it was more than the actual reading. It is a routine practice in June that LESCO sends bills with extra units to consumers for increasing its revenue. Last year, consumers had similar problems and it was not addressed properly. “Last year, there were similar problems and LESCO officials did not bother,” Ali said.
