Electricity bills: KE makes important announcement for consumers

KARACHI: The sole power-providing company of Karachi, K-Electric (KE), has made an announcement regarding the electricity bills of domestic consumers of 200 units or below, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The KE spokesperson said that the revised electricity bills for the domestic consumers of 200 units below on Friday (tomorrow). After the federal government’s announcement, the fuel price adjustment charges were removed from the electricity bills.

The last date of payment was also extended in the revised electricity bill and the consumers could pay their bills by August 30. The consumers could visit the nearest customer care centres for the issuance of the amended electricity bills.

READ: ELECTRICITY BILLS: GOVT FINDS NEW WAY TO SNATCH RELIEF FROM POWER CONSUMERS

The customer care centres will remain open on Friday and Saturday till 8:00 pm, whereas, the concerned consumers could also visit the centres on Sunday till 5:00 pm.

The KE spokesperson clarified that the final date was only extended for the amended electricity bills, whereas, the payment date of the bills for commercial and industrial consumers will remain unchanged.

Revised bills

The press release reads, “Following the notification released by the Ministry of Energy, Government of Pakistan (GoP) about the modification of the June Fuel Charges Adjustment (FCA), K-Electric will facilitate those Non Time-of-Use (Non-ToU) residential consumers, with revised electricity bills for the month of August who have electricity consumption of equal to or less than 200 units.”

“The revised bills will be available from 26 August onwards and can be collected from KE’s operational customer centers across the city. Agricultural customers in KE territory are also eligible under the Government’s FCA relief.”

Per the notification issued by the Ministry of Energy (Power Division), Government of Pakistan on 25 August, “XWDISCOs and K-Electric are directed to implement the following with immediate effect:

• Non-ToU Domestic (Protected) consumers having ≤ 200 units consumption would only pay Rs. 3.8972/Unit in August 2022 billing month.
• Non-ToU Domestic (Non-Protected) consumers having ≤ 200 units consumption and Private Agriculture consumers shall not pay any FCA in August 2022 billing month.”

The relief and due date extension is only for those Non-ToU residential consumers who have a power consumption equal to or less than 200 units.

All the remaining electricity consumers, such as ToU consumers, Non-ToU residential consumers having beyond 200 units of consumption as well as all commercial, and industrial consumers, are requested to continue paying their bills as per routine, it concluded.

Fuel price adjustment in phases

Yesterday, it was learnt that the federal government has found a new way to snatch financial relief from power consumers by collecting hefty taxes after making an announcement to end fuel price adjustment for 17 million consumers.

The tall claims of the federal government for providing relief to the nationals on inflated electricity bills proved to be a mirage. It emerged that the fuel price adjustment for June would not be completely waived for the power consumers using up to 200 units of electricity.

READ: KARACHIITES PROTEST AGAINST INFLATED BILLS, LOADSHEDDING

Sources told ARY News that the federal government decided not to collect a lump sum amount of Rs9.9 per unit but in phases from the protected domestic consumers.

Sources added that Rs3.9 will be collected from the protected domestic consumers in the August electricity bills, whereas, Rs1 per unit will be charged from the consumers on a monthly basis from October 2022 to March 2023.

The fuel price adjustment will not be collected from the consumers of 200 units of electricity in August, whereas, the non-protected consumers will pay Rs1.65 every month from October 2022 to March 2023.

READ: PROTESTERS PELT KE OFFICE WITH STONES OVER POWER CUTS, OVER-BILLING

The same payment criteria was finalised for the agriculture consumers as they will not be charged in August bills for paying the fuel price adjustment. The agriculture consumers will be charged Rs1.65 every month from October 2022 to March 2023.

The paid among of Rs9.9 for June will be adjusted to the electricity bills of September by the government, whereas, the electricity bills will be issued under a new procedure for those who have not paid their August bills.