Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday vowed to take stern action against officers involved in overbilling practices, emphasizing the need for transparency in the electricity billing system.

During a review meeting on the performance of electricity distribution companies,  PM Shehabz urged that the installation of smart meters be expedited, a key step towards ensuring accurate billing and reducing corruption.

"Overbilling will not be tolerated under any circumstances," the PM stated firmly. "Strict action will be taken against any officers found involved in such practices. T he timely installation of smart meters is essential to bring transparency to the system, and it must be completed as soon as possible."

The meeting, chaired by the premier, discussed the operational issues of three major electricity distribution companies: Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO), and Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO).

Concerns were raised over the slow pace of appointing chief executive officers (CEOs) for these companies, with the Prime Minister stressing that this process must be completed quickly through a transparent and merit-based approach.

"The recruitment of CEOs and other staff should be done on merit, and there should be no compromise on transparency during the recruitment process," Sharif directed.

He also reiterated the importance of meeting targets set by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) and ensuring that all resources are utilized effectively to improve performance.

A detailed briefing on the performance of LESCO, PESCO, and FESCO was presented during the meeting. According to the briefing, the recovery rate for LESCO was 96.82% till November 2024, while PESCO’s recovery was 87.98% and FESCO’s recovery stood at 97.57%. However, the transmission and distribution losses for these companies were a cause for concern, with LESCO reporting a loss of 13.04%, PESCO 33%, and FESCO 6.01% in the same period.

Shehbaz Sharif also expressed dissatisfaction with the progress of smart meter installations. LESCO has a target of 223,365 three-phase smart meters, of which only 49,470 have been installed. PESCO has a target of 152,559 smart meters, with 51,173 installed so far, while FESCO has installed only 11,276 out of its target of 192,311 meters.

In addition to the smart meter rollout, the meeting highlighted the customer service facilities offered by the electricity distribution companies, including call centers, emails, websites, and interactive voice response systems. The companies have also integrated NEPRA’s mobile and web services for complaints and issue redressals.

Till November 2024, LESCO, PESCO, and FESCO have registered 99.2%, 99.9%, and 99.7% of consumer complaints, respectively. To further improve consumer access, the helpline 118 is available free of charge from all mobile phone operators for electricity-related complaints.

The meeting was attended by senior officials, including Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Power Division Sardar Owais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecom Shaza Fatima, and Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Ali Pervez Malik.