ISLAMABAD-Showing worst performance, the power distribution companies (Discos) have withdrawn up to 41 percent less electricity from the national grid during the last quarter of previous fiscal year, which has burdened the consumers with Rs122 billion capacity payments and also pushed them into forced loadshedding of up to 12 hours during the summer season.
According the data available with The Nation, during the last quarter of FY2022-23 (from April to June), electricity companies took up 41 percent less electricity than their fixed quota. The quota of electricity companies was set at 37345 million units, while the companies took 32661 million units which is 13 percent less electricity than the quota allotted to these Discos. In April, 8970 million units of electricity were taken against the quota of 10274 million units. In May, against the total allocated units of 12957 million, the Discos have withdrew 11129 million units. The documents further reveal that electricity companies took 12562 million units of electricity in June against the quota of 14414 million units.
Tribal Electric Supply Company was the worst in terms of electricity drawl and used 41 percent less electricity than its allotted quota. TESCO against the allocated quota of 598 million units utilized 353 million units. Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) used 19 percent less electricity and drawl 1553 million units against the quota of 1906 million units. Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) was the third in term of utilization and drawl 16 percent less electricity than its quota. The quota of Pesco was 4698 million units and had taken 3925 million units.
Sukkur Electric Power Company took 15 percent less electricity than its quota of 1484 million units, followed by Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) which had used 14 percent less electricity than its allocated quota of 3734 million units. Similarly, Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) took 13 percent less electricity than its quota of 1960 million units.
According to the document, Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) took 10 percent less than the quota of 5054 million units, Multan Electric Supply Company (Mepco) took 12 percent less electricity than its quota of 6725 million units. The less withdrawal by the Discos had resulted in hefty capacity payments of Rs 122 billion during the last quarter of 2022-23 and will burden the consumers with additional up to Rs 5 per units in their bills.
An official source told the scribe that the government needs to thoroughly investigate the less drawl during the summer months, which had benefitted the IPPs but severely affected the consumers both financially and physically. Despite the availability of sufficient electricity in the national grid most of the Discos had resorted to forced loadshedding of up to 12 hours during the three summer months, the source said.