Khaberni - The Parliamentary Energy and Mineral Resources Committee, chaired by Ayman Abu Henia, visited on Monday the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission, and held a coordinating meeting that included the chairman of the commission's board of commissioners, Ziad Al-Saayyedeh, and committee members, and directors of electricity distribution companies.
This came in response to citizen complaints regarding high electricity bills during the peak of the winter season, emphasizing the priority of protecting citizen interests through comprehensive institutional cooperation linking legislative, regulatory, and executive bodies, and enhancing communication channels with the public.
Abu Henia confirmed that the visit is part of the oversight and legislative role of the Parliamentary Energy Committee, and their commitment to directly follow up on citizens' complaints and observations with the relevant parties, stressing the importance of integrative work between the House of Representatives, the Energy Sector Regulatory Commission, and the electricity distribution companies, which contributes to enhancing rapid and transparent responses and finding joint solutions to recurring complaints during the peaks of summer and winter seasons, often related to consumption patterns and some subscribers moving to higher tariff brackets.
In their interventions, committee members Saleh Abu Tayeh, Jamal Qamoua, Khader Bani Khalid, Rakkin Abu Henia, Islam Al-Azzazma, Naseem Al-Abadi, and Iman Al-Abbasi stressed their commitment to following up on citizen issues and cooperating with all related entities to explore practical proposals and address the observations received, agreeing to continue coordination between the committee and the commission to follow up on observations reported through the newly launched electronic platform in the House of Representatives, ensuring quick response and effective resolution.
For his part, Al-Saayyedeh emphasized the commission's regulatory and oversight role, and its dedication to handling citizens' complaints using documented procedures that ensure fairness, accuracy, and transparency.
He confirmed that electrical losses are not charged to the subscribers' bills, clarifying that the bills reflect the actual consumption based on accurate and clear technical measurement and calculation methods.
He mentioned that the commission will continue to intensify awareness campaigns in cooperation with the electricity distribution companies to explain the best methods for optimizing electricity consumption, especially during periods of peak load increases.
The directors of electricity distribution companies confirmed their commitment to accurate measurement, particularly with the expansion in the use of smart meters, and their rapid response to citizens' complaints, explaining that the increase in bills during the winter season is linked to changes in consumption patterns and increased hours of operation of heating devices and water heating.
The visit also included a field tour of the commission's facilities, covering the around-the-clock Monitoring and Emergency Center, where committee members were briefed on the center's work mechanism in monitoring the performance of the electric power system in the kingdom, in addition to visiting the Customer Happiness Center and reviewing the most significant achievements in the electricity sector over the past year.
