Pakistan’s power sector is once again under fire after an official audit revealed massive overbilling by eight major electricity distribution companies (Discos), costing consumers a staggering Rs244 billion.
The report by the Auditor General of Pakistan accuses Islamabad (Iesco), Lahore (Lesco), Hyderabad (Hesco), Multan (Mepco), Peshawar (Pesco), Quetta (Qesco), Sukkur (Sepco), and Tribal Areas Electric Supply Company (Tesco) of deliberately inflating electricity bills to cover up line losses and theft.
In a shocking revelation, five companies alone overbilled nearly 279,000 customers by Rs47.8 billion in just one month, while 900 million additional units were charged to consumers throughout FY 2023–24 without justification.
Qesco was highlighted as the worst offender, allegedly overcharging Rs148 billion on agricultural tube wells. Similarly, Rs22 billion was falsely billed under “load adjustment”, while 1,432 feeders were exploited for Rs18.6 billion worth of fake bills.
Though some refunds were processed — Rs5.29 billion for wrong meter readings and Rs2.18 billion in Pesco adjustments — auditors said there was no verifiable evidence of full reimbursement to the victims.
The audit teams have now demanded complete records and explanations from all implicated companies, sparking calls for legal action and stricter oversight of Pakistan’s troubled power sector.