Sir: I was shocked to see my electricity bill this month which amounted to Rs 27,668. I am a government pensioner living in the little known Sector O-9 Zone V, on the periphery of Islamabad. A house with five family members, in addition to energy savers and fans, we have the usual electric appliances including one refrigerator, one washing machine, one toaster, a blender and an electric iron. During the concerned billing month, the air conditioner was cautiously used. We do not have Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS). I do not think that our area meter reader has the resources to visit this far flung part of the capital, near Loi Bhir Wildlife Park. So it is not the first time that the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) has sent us a bill based on estimation and speculation. As a law abiding citizen I will pay this bill by the due date because they are always quick to reach your house when it comes to disconnecting electricity. Overbilling has become a matter of routine for us but this time reportedly the prime minister has taken notice of this practice of IESCO. The media has reported several news items about poor people selling their blood to pay electricity bills; recently a widow committed suicide because the concerned authorities refused to correct her bill. This is not an unexpected reaction from low income consumers of electricity. I myself contacted the IESCO helpline to lodge a complaint but failed to do so. These tensions and frustrations eventually and gradually drive people mad. I have to quit my medical treatment, pathological tests and hospital visits just to save money for the payment of utility bills. In emergency situations I rely on self-medication though technically, this might not be equal to committing suicide. ASGHAR MAHMOOD Islamabad