Overbilling: Billions of dollars were paid by the industrial sector for electricity that was never used.

Owais Laghari, the minister of power, voiced his disapproval of the current practice of subjecting industries to exorbitant overbilling.

According to Power Division insiders, the companies are paying Rs 225 billion in subsidies to safeguarded customers.

Industry insiders claim that companies are presently burdened to a large extent since their bills for electricity exceed the actual cost.

The supplementary financial burden has made numerous industries less competitive in the marketplace.

According to sources, in an effort to lessen the burden on industry, the federal government explored a proposal to subsidise protected consumers through the Social Security Programme.