Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved a plan to phase out meter readers in all power distribution companies (Discos), except in Karachi Electric’s service area.
A new self-meter reading app “Apna Meter Apni Reading” will soon be launched.
In a high-level meeting on June 17, 2025, the Prime Minister directed the Power Division to launch the Power Smart Mobile App in both national and regional languages to ensure accessibility for all users. A soft launch will be carried out first to resolve any technical issues. The government has allocated Rs. 316 million for this campaign.
The Power Division has been given one month to finalize a detailed plan to eliminate the role of meter readers.
The campaign’s Terms of Reference (ToR) define the scope, roles, and responsibilities, with a specific responsibility matrix for PITC and MEPCO on planning, execution, and monitoring. Key applications to be launched include Power Smart App, Apna Meter Apni Reading, CCMS+, and Lineman Mobile Solution. These will undergo thorough testing to ensure reliability and user satisfaction.
The Prime Minister has also directed that any administrative cost savings from removing meter readers be passed on to consumers.
Why not fire himself . Taking away jobs of poor people 😕
What a joke this showbaaz guy is
Electricity meter readers in Pakistan often facilitate power theft by accepting bribes in exchange for tampering with meters and negotiating fixed monthly payments that bypass actual usage. This under-the-table arrangement allows many households and even some businesses to steal electricity with impunity, while paying far less than they legally owe. These corrupt practices are not isolated incidents — they are deeply rooted, widespread, and contribute heavily to the circular debt crisis and huge financial losses for power companies and the national grid. Ultimately, honest consumers bear the burden through inflated tariffs and frequent load shedding caused by revenue shortfalls and mismanagement
Have you ever encountered over billing just because of meter readers wrong entry, only than you would know the pain to get through the circus just to correct the error that was not even present at first place.
Regarding jobs of the readers an alternate for them should be in placed before implementing this sol.
50% of Pakistani people have 2G feature phones without internet. How will they use those apps.
Right now also they just received only bill.
Why it matters…
They will still receive bills…
Every consumer may be given smart mb having offícial no specficaly for meter reading transfer
You don’t worry they will when required.. are you a meter reader 😂
Is that all ? Most IPPs overcharge me. Not the meter readers. Why not go after them ?
Oh right . Govt is powerless against them. Ever heard of capacity charges.
The solution is never implemented as it requires going after his party mates.
IPPs are the ugliest thing happened to our country energy input its because of them that our industry has collapsed.
Once a youthia always a youthia ..
Absolutely ….govt just finding lame excuses and don’t have courage to go against the actual problem The IPPs.Meter reader are only normal employees of scale 09 with a very tough and time-bound job.Obe thing more, who would go and check whether the reading submitted by consumer is actual or manipulated?
Meter reader check every meter once a month…without meter readers the theft of energy will shoot up and there would be more people required for Theft Control….which also must have the knowledge of such affairs and the best persons for this work is eventually a meter reader.
meter readers can make mistakes but deliberate overcharging is done by your respective DESCO to compensate for all losses including theft, free electricity to employees, faujis and all others.
Overcharging and detection are done in offices of DISCO with planning.
They should be trained as electrictricians and be shifted to nightshift so the keep their jobs and the electricity companies have more skilled employees who can fix issues 24hr… Here many areas wait for day time if an issue raises @ night…
Dude nobody said he’s gonna fire the readers except oc the writer himself, which I think is a mistake from the writers end not to choose the words carefully. Anyways, my take, it’s not gonna make any difference, just waste if money, time and energy. The awam is chorr (sorry to say but it’s true) they are gonna do old fashion or prefer to do old fashion
Sahi kaha.. awaam khud defaulter hai.. Yahan shareef sirf wo hai jisko moqa nahi milta..
Mr. Angry Chutiye thats called innovation you grumpy pig faced looser.
innovation, up yours that kind of innovation 😂🤣
Karachi is a city of Uganda.
Gradually replace the old meters with SIM based is the better solution. And make the privatisation fast.
LOL our networks can’t support the current number of sim cards and you want to add another 100+ million sim cards.
What a joke, have you ever even studied how the gsm network system works? These sims not going to make calls. Those will be only for few kilo bytes of data transfer at predefined interval and nothing else.
13122311889400
Sab say mufti bajli Kay istimal par action karain
Good idea…at least in cities, this is practical solution, every area people must be assigned a date one to three days during which they take picture on app and upload,
However, the DESCOs employees free units facilities may also be eliminated as they are getting hefty pay, while majority of them are involved in corrupt practices, given their own connection to other neighbors and getin payment, meter closing techniques, and also charging per kunda from rural areas….
Very good. Most of the people have smart phone individual/family. Meter reader role found unsatisfactory. So, ought to be eliminated.
This system is unnecesary previously gass theft was 5pc now after imposing 1000fixed charges peopl started frequently stainless kunda now40pc theft casees initiated with gaS employes co operation.
..plaza chokidars rating 2000 cast of gas. pl kkeep on recard.whenever bijli rates r revised peopl dont take any price hike notice they started comtact for fresh kunda. Vilagers limeman r wadera they r also involved in local faislas alng with bara sian.
This Government have won the hearts
and middle fingers.
Focus should be on targeting the real issues like Decreasing/Phasing out IPPs and Increasing Solar, Wind, Hydel, Nuclear, Geothermal, Tidal and Biogas/Biomass based energy solution so that public can get some actual benefit
only larger crocodiles will enjoy the feast and the cat after consuming 900 rats is off to hajj.
First of all cancel expensive IPP’s and punish all stakeholders who were involved in those fraudulent IPP’s agreements.
Then move to other things, otherwise just cosmetics to whitewash.
That’s a good step to digitalise Pakistan but also there would be a system that all data goes directly to headquarters Islamabad because local charge too much
In my opinion this is best and advanced idea. This way people can’t bribe meter Reade’s. They themselves will scan and send reading forwards with online payment.
Karachi to wese bhi pakistan say alag hy… Jitni constructions, establishments punjab specially lahore me ki hein in ganajy walo nay Karachi ko lawaris chor dia… Matlab ek state jo apne proviance ki wheet puri nai karsakti export kya karegi uske liyay itni establishment or dusri side Karachi sabse ziada revenue generate karti kamaou pooth state….usko thudday line lagaya va hy…geo ganjay walo
Electricity jo chori hoti ha uas ka soln nikalna chahay jo line losses ki adjustment ki shakal may wo consumer pay karty ha jo bijli chori nai karty aur regularly bill pay karty ha, ya dramy bazia hakoomat choray asal issues ko resolve kary, jaiy free bijli, chori bijli, wapda employ say mill kar bijli chori, Govt employ ko muft bijli, MNA, MPA, Senetor, Prime Minister, President, Beurocrste etc ko free bijli. Free bijli waly bijli aisy istamal karty ha jaisy chori ka maal danga dy guz
Soo Nice 👍
جناب وزیر اعظم اور وزیر اعلی تک کسی طرح محکمہ مال میں کرپشن کو ختم کرنے کی تجاویز بھجوائے جائیں۔ہر علیہ گاؤں میں بزور قانون جمع بندی کے ذریعے لوگوں کے رقبہ اکٹھے کیئے جایئں۔اور محکمہ مال نادرہ کے حوالہ کیا جائے
The real problem is Load shedding. In our Area if it rains or it’s just windy our electricity is cut off. There is no way you can contact them cuz all the phone numbers are off. And once the electricity is cut we can only expect it to comeback after 8 hours (on a good day only that is)
It is good to trust public. Public is trusted only by simple approach. As in past we have only consumed units and their price.
There was no peak time easy time difficult time load shedding time, there were not ot number of columns to be filled with money payment be taken from consumers. It is hard to understand electricity bill.
Further complication was created with smart meters showing lots of numbers on it no one can understand what meter reading is.
Now issue will go into hands of smart man the app developer and he or his organization can manipulate any meter or its reading.
We are going from simplicity to complexity just bcz we don’t make anyone accountable who is given responsibility but start a new path make more public money as expens.
Rest assure simplicity, transparency and accountability under article six is the solution to inside problems of the nation.
Alhamdolilah