The Federal Ombudsman (Wafaqi Mohtasib) directed the public utility companies operating in Pakistan to fix the due date for consumers to pay their bills up to the seventh day instead of the last dates of each month.
The directives were issued by Federal Ombudsman while hearing public complaints against maladministration of various power and gas supply companies and added that the bills should be distributed at least ten days ahead of the due date.
The written complaints said that the due date for payment of bills are being fixed on the last dates of the month and unable to pay the bills on time, resulting in disconnection due to non-payment of bills, for no fault of their own.
They said this creates hardship for the low income groups and the salaried class, who received their remunerations during the first week of the month.
Besides the consumer are also subjected to payment of surcharges on overdue payments, which seems unjustified, the complainants added.
