- September 4, 2026
- Posted by: Tresmark
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The government has instructed power Distribution Companies (DISCOs) to strictly follow the timelines set by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for resolving consumer complaints, with action to be taken against officials responsible for delays.
The directive was issued by Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari while chairing a review meeting on the performance of the Helpline 118 Customer Care Service on Thursday.
The meeting examined the performance of individual DISCOs, including complaints received through Helpline 118, their resolution within the prescribed timeframe and cases that exceeded the regulatory deadline.
Officials said around 1.64 million complaints were registered through Helpline 118 in August 2026, with 99.18% of them resolved. Of the complaints addressed, 94.95% were resolved within the prescribed timeframe, while 5.05% were settled after the deadline.
The minister instructed DISCO chief executive officers to regularly monitor complaint resolution and take action against officials who fail to address consumer issues within the required timeframe.
The meeting was also informed that QESCO had issued show-cause notices to 38 Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) over negligence in resolving complaints on time.
Complaints concerning power outages, line faults and voltage problems accounted for approximately 77% of all complaints received through Helpline 118. Leghari directed DISCOs to give priority to these issues and improve their response times.
Helpline 118 offers consumers a free and direct channel to report electricity-related problems without the involvement of intermediaries. The service operates in seven languages, enables consumers to track complaints and provides feedback once issues have been resolved.
The system also automatically escalates complaints to the appropriate level if they remain unresolved beyond the prescribed timeframe.
Leghari said the helpline should be strengthened as a transparent, reliable and effective customer service platform, allowing consumers to directly register and monitor complaints and ensuring timely resolution.
He added that the government would also examine ways to strengthen DISCO performance monitoring and accountability mechanisms to improve customer service delivery.
