The Ministry of Energy has launched a major nationwide rollout of smart meters as part of its 2025-26 customer service improvement drive.
A spokesperson said the move is aimed at modernizing the distribution system, improving billing accuracy and building public trust in power companies.
The Ministry said cost reduction has unlocked the programme. Smart meter prices have been cut from around Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 15,000 per single-phase unit, after strict procurement reforms and competitive market engagement.
Around 80 percent of Pakistan’s 38 million electricity consumers use single-phase meters. The government estimates that replacing five million meters a year could save Rs. 25 billion annually.
Human meter reading will largely end under this plan. Remote automation will reduce errors, improve transparency and help resolve long-standing disputes over faulty billing.
Consumers will also be able to track consumption in real time using mobile apps, allowing better control over monthly bills.
The Ministry expects prices to decline further through global competitive bidding. Officials say the initiative marks a major milestone in digitalising Pakistan’s power sector and boosting service quality at distribution companies.
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the hype before every launch of a failed plan.
I appreciate showbaz form 47 govt for this step
Great Idea to grab more money from consumers.
Smart = anything govt can manipulate instead of facilitate
In usa , they introduced smart meters and cloud based reading
That resulted in frequent surges in bills, high costs of electricity transferred to consumers, any issue in cloud caused more disruptions for electricity consumers and helped no one.
Now same tech companies are buying up govt power plants to remove any govt oversight.
Human reading is still better than anything that can be remotely manipulated.
And govt forcing it only confirms it.