The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has introduced new costs for solar power users by making it mandatory for them to install AMI meters with their connections.
According to a notification issued by the company, only AMI meters will now be allowed for solar connections. Sources within LESCO revealed that the price of an AMI meter has been fixed at Rs. 70,000, which is double the previous cost of around Rs. 35,000. They added that new solar connection requests have temporarily been put on hold, and the move is being carried out on the direction of the Ministry of Energy.
The development comes just days after it was revealed that solar panels were stolen from several government schools in Punjab during 2022 and 2023. Following these reports, the Punjab Public Accounts Committee (PAC) ordered police to investigate the theft incidents.
A recent report showed that 50 schools in Rajanpur alone lost their solar panels during 2022–23. The committee expressed serious concern over the matter during a meeting chaired by Tanzeel Aslam Malik.
During the session, Malik directed that strong letters be sent to the District Police Officers (DPOs) of affected districts. He criticized the Education Department for avoiding responsibility and shifting the blame to District Health Authorities. The PAC instructed officials to determine the total number of schools affected, the number of stolen panels, and the extent of recovery made so far.