Islamabad: The Federal Minister for Energy, Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, has committed to intensifying the monitoring of Distribution Companies (DISCOs) in a bid to enhance customer care services and ensure accountability for negligence. This announcement came during a review meeting focused on the performance of Helpline 118, a customer care service designed to address electricity-related complaints.

According to Press Information Department, Helpline 118 offers consumers a direct and cost-free means to register complaints concerning electricity, bypassing intermediaries. The service supports multiple languages, allows for complaint tracking, and provides feedback upon resolution. Notably, the process ensures automatic escalation for complaints unresolved within the expected timeframe.

During the meeting, a comprehensive examination of DISCOs’ performance was conducted, analyzing the 1.64 million complaints logged through Helpline 118 in August 2026. Of these, 99.18 percent were resolved, with 94.95 percent addressed within the specified timeframe. The Federal Minister emphasized the importance of adhering to NEPRA’s timelines for resolving complaints.

The review highlighted that power outages, line faults, and voltage issues constituted about 77 percent of the total complaints, prompting a focus on their prompt resolution. The Minister instructed DISCO executives to oversee the timely resolution of consumer complaints and hold accountable those responsible for delays. The Chief Executive Officer of QESCO reported that 38 show-cause notices were issued to SDOs for negligence.

Sardar Leghari underscored the need for Helpline 118 to become a more effective and transparent tool for consumers, facilitating direct complaint registration and timely resolution. He also mentioned plans to evaluate and enhance the current system of monitoring and accountability to deliver necessary improvements in customer services.