LAHORE: Pakistan will start phasing out manual electricity meter readers nationwide, except in Karachi, as part of a new digital billing system sanctioned by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, government officials say.
The scheme, designed to address the long-standing issue of overbilling, will enable electricity users to submit their meter readings through a mobile phone app named Apna Meter Apni Reading (“My Meter, My Reading”).
The decision is against the backdrop of increasing popular annoyance over exorbitant electricity bills, which the authorities attribute to incorrect manual readings. During a recent meeting, Sharif instructed the Power Division to complete a comprehensive implementation plan within a month.
“The new system has been envisioned to empower consumers and make the billing process more transparent,” said an official working on the project while addressing journalists. “It will also reduce administrative expenses.”
The Power Division will create the application in five languages, English, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtu, and Balochi, to cover users across the country.
A Rs316 million publicity campaign is also being prepared to motivate customers to utilize the app and realize the advantages of self-metering. Authorities maintain that the amount saved through minimizing manual work will be transferred to consumers.
Karachi, which is served by the privately owned Karachi Electric (KE), is excluded from the new policy.
The government hopes the digital push will also lower billing disputes, check corruption, and restore credibility in a power industry frequently tainted by inefficiency and grievances.
