Karachi: As per a detailed complaint by social activist Mahfouzul Nabi Khan, electricity meters installed in Karachi are not certified by the Standard and Quality Control Authority, casting doubt on their accuracy and validity. This situation has allegedly allowed K-Electric to overcharge its customers significantly over the past two decades.

According to K-Electric, the uncertified meters are tested only by K-Electric's in-house laboratory, which has led to arbitrary and unverified billing practices that consumers are forced to accept. This method, as per the activist, forms the basis for systematic over-billing. Khan has voiced these concerns in a letter addressed to the FIA Crime Circle in Karachi, urging an investigation similar to one previously conducted in Lahore which resulted in significant refunds to consumers.

The activist highlighted several dubious practices by K-Electric, including assigning excessive electrical loads to consumers and connecting multiple users to a single meter. Additionally, the placement of meters in inaccessible locations hampers consumers’ ability to verify their own usage. Khan also criticized a recent initiative that offered a limited-time discount to certain consumers, labeling it ineffective and mocking the efforts of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to alleviate public burdens.