NEPRA’s Vision About Complaints
NEPRA has to keep a window open to public for resolving complaints
where the licensees are not adhering to the standards. This is also
in accordance with the RGT&D Act 1997, Section 39 reproduce
below:
Complaints: –
(1) Any interested person, including a Provincial Government, may
file a written complaint which the Authority against a licencee
for contravention of any provision of this Act or any order, rule,
regulation, licence or instruction made or issued thereunder.
(2) The Authority shall, on receipt of a complaint, before taking
any action thereon, give notice to the licensee or any other person
against whom such complaint has been made to show cause and provide
such licencee or such other person an opportunity of being heard.
NEPRA has to constantly monitor and enforce the service obligations
which could only be done through a Consumer Affair Division. The
cell is actively playing its part through vigilance and pro active
role to redress the complaints of consumers. This is not only providing
relief to consumers but is bringing more visibility to NEPRA.
It is understood that although the day to day complaints cases will
continue to be dealt by the Consumer Service Centres of the utility,
the consumer complaints against the licencees (DISCOS), particularly
of the nature as mentioned below will continue to come to NEPRA.
It is important that NEPRA must keep track of the issues faced by
the consumers as this will help NEPRA in monitoring and compliance
of service obligations. The Consumer Affair Division will effectively
be asking the licencees to redress the grievances of the consumers
by close liaison with the Provincial Offices of Inspection and the
liaison offices of NEPRA in the provinces.
Role of Consumer Affairs Division
The basic role of Consumer's Affair Division is to ensure dispensation
of justice and protection of consumers interests. It will oversee
the performance and effectiveness of the offices of the inspection
and liaison offices in the provinces. Consumer Affair Division will
ensure the enforcement of regulation act, rules, orders and instructions
by NEPRA. While protecting the interest of the consumers, Consumer
Affair Division would keep vigilance so that the electric supply
companies:-
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Expeditiously attend to the complaints and provide redressal in
the minimum time period.
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Ensure that the electric supply companies provide accurate and
timely bills to the consumers.
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Fluctuation free supply to the consumers.
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No un-scheduled interruptions.
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Safety standards are maintained.
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Provide prescribed quality of electricity.
Provide compensation to the effected consumers.
Types of Complaints
NEPRA will entertain complaints by any person or the provisional
government against the licencee for non compliance or contravention
of the regulation act. Nevertheless NEPRA will in variably be
dealing with the types of complaints as under:
a. Tariff Issues. Unless approved by NEPRA and
notified by Government, the DISCO could not unilaterally levy
an additional tariff to consumers. NEPRA being the guardian for
the protection of consumer’s interests will only act, if it gets
the feed back from consumers in the form of complaints/petitions.
b. Frequent and prolonged shutdowns. The consumers
will seek the intervention and assistance of NEPRA who will ask
the licencees to explain reasons for unscheduled shutdowns and breakdowns.
This may be due to poor construction and over loading of the system
and equipment.
c. Safety Standards. Violation of performance standards
by licencees to deal with the cases as under:-
1. Electrocution due to improper earthing
2. Loose and dangling wires.
3. Low height at crossings and other public places.
4. Tilting poles
5. Miscellaneous safety hazards
d. Correct Voltage. The Electricity Supply Company is required
to provide quality electricity to consumers and adhere to performance
standards. When there are regular complaints against the licencee
of a certain area for supplying constant low voltage effecting the
efficiency and working of the consumer equipment thus causing damage,
the company will be asked to redress the complaints expeditiously
and may levy fines if desired.
e. Metering and Billing. It is not the DISCO which should
be checking and giving verdict for the correctness of the meters.
The disputes of the faulty meters should be referred to Electric
Inspectors who should be adequately equipped to check the correctness
of meters or otherwise and their report should be taken as final.
The NEPRA has to periodically assess the effectiveness of inspections
made by POIs.
Conclusion
As a regulatory body , retaining a Consumer Affair Division is mandatory
to get a regular feed back from consumers regarding the quality
of service that the utility is providing to its consumers. The distressed
consumers will always look forward to the regulatory Authority for
redressal of their grievances and dispensation of speedy justice.
The Consumer Affair Division is thus the most important segment
of the electricity regulatory authority.
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