LAHORE: Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has once again decided to procure ordinary static single-phase electricity meters instead of AMI smart meters, officials familiar with the matter said.
The company has approved the purchase of 400,000 single-phase static meters, with the procurement process already underway, according to the details shared. LESCO is set to acquire the meters at a total cost of approximately Rs 1.07 billion (one billion and seventy crore rupees).
The development marks a change in direction from earlier actions taken by LESCO. Previously, the utility had banned static meters and initiated a project to install AMI smart meters, citing concerns over power theft and overbilling.
Smart-meter pricing had also been established earlier in the process: the cost of a single-phase AMI smart meter was fixed at Rs 17,000.
It is interesting to note that the Federal Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Khan Leghari had repeatedly described the smart-meter initiative as an important step toward improving the electricity system.
However, LESCO’s renewed decision to purchase static meters has now sparked fresh questions about the rationale and future direction of the utility’s metering strategy.
As the purchase process moves forward, stakeholders are awaiting clarity from LESCO on whether AMI installations will continue and how the decision aligns with the original objectives of reducing losses and billing disputes.
