LAHORE – Charges of single phase electricity meters installed by the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) are likely to drop as it has once again approved procurement of conventional static.
Reports the company will spend approximately Rs1.7 billion on the purchase 400,000 conventional meters, and the procurement process has already been initiated.
The decision comes after LESCO had previously moved away from static meters and launched a plan to install Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) smart meters aimed at reducing electricity theft and preventing overbilling.
Under the smart meter initiative, the price of a single-phase AMI smart meter was set at Rs17,000. The technology was promoted as a modern solution to improve monitoring, billing accuracy, and transparency within the power distribution system.
Federal Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Khan Leghari has also repeatedly described the smart meter project as an important step toward improving Pakistan’s electricity sector.
However, LESCO’s latest decision to return to purchasing traditional static meters reflects a change in the policy.
The company has not provided further details regarding the reasons behind the renewed procurement of static meters or how the move will affect the ongoing smart meter installation plans.
As AMI meters cost higher, the installation of the conventional single phase electricity meters would cut the cost significantly.
