LHC Directs Consumers To Pay Power Bills Sans Fuel Adjustment Charges

LHC Directs Consumers To Pay Power Bills Sans Fuel Adjustment Charges
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday ordered fuel adjustment charges to be excised from electricity bills instructing consumers to pay bills without footing additional charges.

The LHC gave the directive while hearing a plea moved against the collection of fuel adjustment charges in  monthly electricity bills. Complainant Muhammad Sadiq filed the petition through his lawyer Khalid Karim Chaudhry in which Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) was named respondent.

Sadiq argued that the collection of the fuel adjustment charges would ultimately increase the power tariff rendering electricity prohibitive. He, therefore, urged the LHC to nullify the decision taken by the federal government arguing that fuel adjustment in electricity bills was not in line with statute .

Justice Shah Waheed of the LHC subsequently passed an order stating consumers should deduct the fuel adjustment charges while paying their electricity bills after hearing the arguments. He then issued notices to the the federal government, the Federal Bureau of Revenue and LESCO.

The hearing of the case has been adjourned till September 14. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had separately waived fuel adjustment charges for 17 million electricity consumers on Tuesday.