For the first time in nearly 30 years, officers of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) are paying electricity bills after the government ended the long-standing facility of free electricity units for power distribution company employees.
According to LESCO sources, the withdrawal of the benefit has left many officers paying a substantial portion of their salaries toward household electricity bills, with some claiming nearly half their monthly income is now spent on utility costs.
Previously, Grade-18 officers received 6,000 free electricity units annually, Grade-19 officers were entitled to 8,000 units, while Grade-20 officers received 10,000 free units each year.
Sources said some other power distribution companies had obtained court orders restoring the benefit for their employees. However, LESCO officials argued that selectively restoring the facility would be unfair.
Instead, they called for a uniform policy from the Ministry of Energy, maintaining that employment benefits should be reflected in salary packages rather than through free electricity.