Power generator, UPS dealers fleecing consumers

Rawalpindi

Owing to persistent prolonged power outages and in some areas forced loadshedding even in spring season, dealers of generators, uninterrupted power supply (UPS), searchlights and other electrical appliances have got a golden opportunity to charge prices of these items at their will.

The rates of all electrical appliances have jumped by 35 to 50 per cent as compared to last year because there is no official mechanism for checking the prices and quality of these appliances. Helpless consumers bear huge amount of electricity bills and also have to bear extra financial burden in buying generators, UPS, searchlights etc to get relief during forced loadshedding.

‘The News’ conducted a survey of different bazaars and it was observed that prices of UPS units, generators, searchlights and other electrical appliances have almost doubled as compared to the previous year.

The China made generators cannot properly work because they frequently develop faults a dealer said and added that majority of people use to buy UPS units, but they don’t work properly due to prolonged loadshedding.

At College Road (electrical market) the locally-made heavy generators have become quite popular, but dealers avoid giving warranty and one has to take the risk. A generator of 660CC is available for Rs100,000 while that of 1,300CC and 1,800CC can cost up to Rs170,000. Similarly, UPS prices start from Rs30,000 up to Rs100,000. Searchlights are being sold at different prices from Rs300 to Rs1,700.

An electronics dealer Rashid Khan said that locally-made generators were durable as compared to China made, but proper maintenance was essential as carelessness usually damages dynamos, which could cost up to Rs33,000. “The 16 valves generators are very safe, which can help draw water from tubewells, run air conditioners, over one dozen fans, refrigerators, computers, television and several lights,” Khan claimed.

Shahid Munir, a UPS mechanic at College Road, said that the prolonged loadshedding has affected the business of UPS units and people prefer to buy generators because they function non-stop. He said that UPS was noiseless facility, but could not give more than one-hour backup. Besides, the prices of batteries have also gone up exorbitantly. Warranties of different durations are offered for new batteries, but the mechanic say that repaired batteries can also serve the purpose for three months with minimum expenses of Rs3,500 to Rs4,000, he claimed.

Shahid also said that people must take care while buying generators because the dealers sell locally-made generators while falsely branding them as Japan or Malaysia. “The factory owners use brand name of others and produce substandard products,” he said and advised the buyers to select foreign assembled generators to avoid problems for a long time.

“We have many varieties of both manual and self-start generators, but we cannot give warranty,” said a dealer, Naeem Ahmed and added that in case of any fault the mechanics were available in the market.

Talking to ‘The News’ helpless people belonging to different walks of life said that rich people could afford to buy expensive UPS and generators, but poor cannot. “We hardly pay electrical bills how could we purchase these expensive items,” they said. Shakir Hussain, a resident of Al-Mumtaz Colony said that they are facing forced loadshedding for a couple of days. Iesco announced 8-hours loadshedding schedule, but they are facing 10 to 12 hours forced loadshedding.

Raja Waheed Ahmed, a resident of Gulistan Colony, said that they are facing 10 to 12 hours loadshedding. The prices of all electrical appliances are going up day-by-day due to prolonged loadshedding, he denounced.

When ‘The News’ contacted Iesco Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Muhammad Babar, he admitting all facts and figures and alleged that National Power Control Centre (NPCC) started forced loadshedding in some areas of Rawalpindi. “We are observing scheduled loadshedding, but we are helpless before forced loadshedding by NPCC for the last couple of days,” he claimed.

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