Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has reportedly approved proposals to phase out the use of meter readers in power distribution companies in a bid to reduce issues of overbilling. According to reports, a mobile application, Apna Meter Apni Reading, will be launched to fully replace manual meter reading.

 

This facility, however, will not be available in Karachi as the city is not served by a state-owned power distribution company. If K-Electric intends to offer its customers the same service, it will have to develop its own infrastructure.

 

Reports reveal that the current meter reading system has several issues. Customers have logged numerous complaints, claiming that their bills are much higher compared to the number of units they have consumed.

 

Currently, meter readers go from one utility pole to the next, taking pictures of every electricity meter. As per reports, these pictures are then forwarded to the Power Information Technology Company (PITC), which utilises information from the pictures to issue bills to customers.

 

The PM Shehbaz reportedly issued directives to the Power Division this month to resolve the complaints of overbilling via an electronic system. Reports suggest that the creation of a smart power mobile application was approved, which will be available to consumers in Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, and Balochi.

 

PM Shehbaz has given a deadline of one month to Power Division officials to plan a strategy to start phasing out the use of meter readers in the power sector. This could greatly improve the efficiency of the power sector as a large number of meter readers can be put to use towards other operations. Alternatively, the federal government can also enact right-sizing initiatives, as some meter readers may not be required even after being reassigned to other designations.

 

Moreover, reports have outlined how this will result in a fall in administration costs. PM Shehbaz has reportedly agreed to pass savings from lower costs to customers, thereby reducing the financial strain on the general public.

 

PITC has asked power distributors to work on media campaigns to educate the general public about the benefits of self-reading, as meter readers are often a cause of overbilling. According to reports, the federal government has earmarked Rs316 for the aforementioned media campaign.