LESCO Grants Relief Worth Millions to Consumers for Overbilling

Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has provided significant relief to consumers by issuing credit adjustments amounting to Rs. 850 million due to overbilling. According to documents, this adjustment, based on 11.6 million units, was credited in last month’s billing cycle. Following the directives of Federal Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) initiated a crackdown on overbilling, uncovering overcharges worth billions. Since April, LESCO has been offering credit adjustments on bills containing overbilling, with similar relief granted in the August billing cycle. On the other hand, the complete implementation of the Rs. 14 per unit relief announced by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has not materialized. The relief was only provided to single-phase meter consumers, excluding those with three-phase meters. LESCO sources confirmed that while the Chief Minister announced relief for single-phase and three-phase consumers, the Ministry directed the relief only for single-phase users. This month, three-phase meter holders will not benefit from the Rs 14 per unit relief, leading many to visit LESCO offices in hopes of rectification. Only 600,000 single-phase consumers have received this concession. In August, the Punjab government reduced electricity rates by Rs. 14 per unit, promising immediate relief for consumers using up to 500 units in their August and September bills.