“PNG Power has begun a mass disconnection exercise on industrial customers who are found to be tempering with electricity credit meters and paying less than the expected bills. “The mass disconnection also includes customers with hefty outstanding electricity bills. They are required to settle overdue bills to avoid disconnection by PNG Power technical team. “The disconnected industrial customers will be charged a reconnection fee of K10,000 and an additional advanced bill for a month before electricity supply is restored. “This nationwide disconnection exercise applies to government departments, state owned agencies, manufacturers and commercial retailers. “Moreover, domestic customers on Easipay meters will also be investigated, disconnected and charged accordingly. “Ongoing investigations have revealed that many high consumption industrial customers are tempering with credit meters and this is deemed illegal and amounts to power theft. “More than 10 industrial customers in Port Moresby have already been caught tempering with credit meters. They have been paying less than what they should pay depending on their high consumption ratings. Two (2) of these customers have been back-billed and PNG Power anticipates to recover more than K2 million in bills. “The practice of meter-tempering and overdue outstanding bills has hit hard on PNG Power’s revenue to increase generation capacity and maintaining power reliability in the country. “It is unfair when majority of the industrial customers are being loyal and paying their bills on time, yet many industrial customers stealing electricity. “If you are tempering meters or have not settled your outstanding bills, PNG Power urges you to do the right thing and start paying your overdue bills.”