Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has reversed its smart meter policy, deciding to reinstall conventional static meters in place of modern AMI smart meters on faulty single-phase connections.
LESCO issued a formal directive stating that defective or burnt single-phase meters will now be replaced with traditional static meters, instead of the advanced AMI smart meters previously mandated.
Company officials confirmed that the high cost of smart meters compared to conventional static meters had placed severe financial strain on LESCO, forcing an urgent review of its meter replacement framework.
The new policy applies specifically to meters flagged as defective through various fault codes, which had previously triggered automatic replacement with smart meters under the earlier operational guidelines.
LESCO has confirmed that the replacement of defective or damaged meters with conventional static meters will remain completely free for consumers, with no additional charges applied under any circumstances.
However, the utility clarified that all new electricity connections will still require mandatory installation of AMI smart meters, with new consumers bearing the full cost in accordance with existing regulations.
LESCO is currently facing a serious operational challenge, as thousands of defective meters across its system are causing incorrect billing for consumers and significant administrative difficulties for the company.
The scale of faulty meters in the network has made it financially unsustainable for LESCO to continue replacing each unit with a smart meter, prompting this significant policy reversal.
This policy shift marks a major departure from Pakistan’s broader push toward smart metering infrastructure, which was intended to improve billing accuracy and reduce electricity theft nationwide.
