Razzaz tasks neutral audit body with reviewing citizens’ electricity complaints

AMMAN — An informed government source on Sunday confirmed that Prime Minister Omar Razzaz will assign a neutral audit company to study complaints received by the National Electric Power Company from a number of citizens regarding the value of electricity bills. 

This measure comes in response to what citizens considered an "unusual rise" in the value of household electricity bills, with the aim of adhering to transparency standards regarding the various issues of concern to citizens, the source noted. 

Meanwhile, the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring effective censorship and control over all of the Kingdom’s electric power companies, with the aim of providing stable and secure services to citizens and different sectors, according to the EMRC website

The Energy and Mineral Resources Committee, chaired by MP Hussein Qaisi, last Monday discussed factors affecting the rise in electricity bills, noting a general “lack of public satisfaction regarding the tracking and follow-up measures on underlying causes for the rise in electricity prices at the end of each year,” according to the website.

Noting that the EMRC has been requested to provide a detailed report on the complaints, Qaisi stated that the committee “does not question the EMRC or electric power companies”, but that “there is a glitch that has not been solved”.

"The dispute regarding the sudden increase in the costs of electricity bills in November and December of each year has become a frequent thing," EMRC President Farouq Hyari said during last Monday’s meeting, noting that the EMRC is “carrying out tight restrictions on power companies” and is preparing a study on the reasons for the high electricity costs.

Through the authority granted to the regulatory commission by the law, it has logged in to billing devices and has taken samples of various electricity companies' bills, Hyari said at the time. 

These investigations indicated that “there is nothing wrong with the power bills”, Hyari said, adding that the bills usually reflect power consumption.