LAHORE – The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has announced a significant policy shift aimed at reducing costs for large commercial and industrial electricity consumers.
According to a new notification, LESCO will now install only one Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) smart meter instead of two, simplifying the process and offering financial relief to its consumers.
The official notification was issued by Director of Customer Services, Abbas Ali. Under the updated policy, consumers who switch to solar power will no longer be required to install a backup meter.
Instead, they will be given the option to choose between billing through either a backup or main meter.
In addition, new connections will now be equipped with only one “LT TOU” (Low Tension Time-of-Use) smart meter, further streamlining the setup process.
As part of the financial relief package, LESCO estimates that consumers will save approximately Rs45,000 on meter installation. An additional relief of Rs80,000 will be provided in the form of waived AT Box costs. The move brings the total potential savings for each consumer to around Rs125,000.
This move is expected to encourage more consumers to transition to smart metering systems and renewable energy sources like solar power, while also reducing the upfront financial burden on new commercial and industrial connections.
In April this year, LESCO directed consumers to follow new official channels for Smart Meter Procurement amid recent crisis related to LT Smart AMI meters.
As per recent directives from government electric distribution company, there will be a ban on private purchase of LT Smart AMI meters, particularly those used in solar energy systems amid complaints regarding the unavailability of certified meters and other issues.
LESCO directed all its operational offices to stop the issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) that previously allowed consumers to purchase smart meters from the open market. Instead, consumers will now receive formal demand notices for the installation of company-provided smart meters.
In recent months, LESCO allowed consumers to procure meters independently through NOCs due to a shortage in the utility’s own stock as Consumers were unable to complete the installation process due to the absence of necessary inspection certificates, leading to delays.
