Federal Energy Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari has banned manual detection billing by electricity distribution companies (DISCOs), directing them to issue such bills exclusively through a centralized online portal and warning of strict action against officials who violate the order.
The decision follows complaints about excessive and allegedly incorrect detection bills imposed on consumers. At a meeting with DISCOs’ boards of directors, Leghari said electricity theft must be curbed, but innocent consumers must not face arbitrary financial penalties.
Manual Detection Billing to Invite Penalties
Under the new framework, all detection bills must be processed through the centralized online portal operated by the Power Information Technology Company (PITC). Field staff and sub-divisional officers will no longer be allowed to issue manual or discretionary detection bills.
Manual billing will be treated as serious misconduct, exposing responsible officials to disciplinary proceedings and major penalties.
The Power Division will also propose amendments to the Consumer Service Manual to set clear limits on meter replacement, average billing and detection charges.
New Limits on Meter Replacement
Under the proposed changes, defective or burnt meters must be replaced immediately or within a maximum of two billing cycles. Average billing during the replacement period will also be limited to two months.
If a meter is found to be running slow or fast, recovery or credit adjustments will be restricted to the preceding two billing cycles.
The proposed framework would limit detection billing for ordinary consumers involved in unauthorized electricity use to three billing cycles. For registered consumers, the maximum period would be six months, while for unregistered consumers it would be capped at 12 months.
The boards of directors of DISCOs and their customer services committees have been directed to review detection bills every month, assessing their accuracy, transparency and the validity of recoveries.
The Power Division said the reforms aim to prevent prolonged retrospective billing, strengthen accountability and protect consumers from charges imposed outside applicable rules.P
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