The government is preparing a crackdown against people using more than one electricity meter in a single house or property to receive extra subsidy benefits, according to the reports today.
According to the sources, power distribution companies have started collecting data of consumers who installed multiple single phase meters in one home, shop, or building.
Officials say that some users are unfairly taking advantage of the protected electricity category.
The protected category is meant for low electricity users and deserving families. These consumers get lower electricity rates and government subsidy support.
However, some of the people are dividing their electricity usage through different meters. This keeps their monthly unit count low and helps them continue receiving subsidy benefits.
To stop this misuse, electricity companies have started printing QR codes on electricity bills. These QR codes will help officials verify consumer records and identify extra meters linked to one property.
Power companies are using the new system to improve monitoring and transparency in billing. These include Lahore Electric Supply Company.
Sources said that companies will now complete detailed records of consumers using multiple meters. If any user is found ineligible for a subsidy, the protected category benefit will be removed immediately.
After removal from the protected category, consumers will be shifted to the non protected tariff. Officials say this could increase monthly electricity bills by Rs8,000 to Rs10,000.
Authorities have also started clearly mentioning subsidy amounts on electricity bills. This allows consumers to see how much financial relief they are receiving from the government.
Officials warned that consumers who fail to provide required information through the QR code system could also lose their subsidy benefits.
The government says the main purpose of the crackdown is to ensure that electricity subsidies reach only deserving consumers. More strict action is expected in the coming days against people using extra meters to misuse subsidies.
