By Commerce Reporter
LAHORE: Chief Executive Officer of Lahore Electric Supply Company Engineer Ramzan Butt has announced that the Prime Minister would launch the “Apna Meter, Apni Reading” program very soon. Under this initiative, consumers will be provided with a link through which they can submit their own meter readings and those readings will be officially considered for billing.
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He was speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. LCCI President Mian Abuzar Shad, Senior Vice President Engineer Khalid Usman, Vice President Shahid Nazir Chaudhry, SAARC Chamber Vice President Mian Anjum Nisar and former LCCI President Muhammad Ali Mian also spoke on the occasion. Executive Committee Members including Waqas Aslam, Ms. Firdous Nisar, Karamat Ali Awan, Asif Malik, Ahad Amin Malik and Tanveer Ahmed were also present in the meeting.
CEO LESCO said that there is a collective realization, from the Prime Minister to every individual,lthat the survival of the power sector is crucial for the survival of the country. He said that once the direction of the power sector is set right, the associated issues will also be resolved and thanks to the Prime Minister’s efforts, that direction has now been aligned.
Engineer Ramzan Butt said that a Rapid Response Force has been established to immediately restore electricity supply in case of outages due to bad weather or other causes. He acknowledged the critical role of the business community, saying that they are purchasing electricity to keep the economic wheel turning.
Assuring stakeholders, he categorically denied the possibility of overbilling and over-reading and said that LESCO is working to resolve all customer issues including meter replacement and new connection provisioning right at their doorsteps. Declaring LESCO staff as public servants, he said that their responsibility are ensure uninterrupted power supply. He said that there is no shortage of material with the LESCO.
Instructions have been issued to staff to ensure that there is no tripping on industrial feeders. Responding to a question about FIRs, he reassured that LESCO is taking measures to ensure no undue action is taken against anyone. He acknowledged that sometimes meter problems arise due to unawareness on part of industrial consumers and placed the responsibility of monitoring meters on meter readers.
LCCI President Mian Abuzar Shad raised several pressing issues with the LESCO CEO. He said that although the issue of MDI fixed charges falls under NEPRA’s jurisdiction, they highlighted its significant negative impact on members. As per NEPRA’s new regulations, all industrial and commercial users must pay 50% of their sanctioned load regardless of unit consumption, drastically increasing operational costs for industries. They urged the LESCO CEO to convey this concern to NEPRA and the federal government.
He also expressed concern over the hanging power cables in various markets, which pose serious safety hazards and have led to several accidents. Despite repeated complaints, the matter has not been adequately addressed. LESCO was urged to instruct relevant offices to prioritize the removal or securing of such dangerous wiring.
LCCI Senior Vice President Engineer Khalid Usman and Vice President Shahid Nazir Chaudhry also raised issues regarding the late delivery of electricity bills, often received just one or two days before the due date. This delay prevents timely payment and results in swift disconnection by LESCO teams, adding to the hardship faced by consumers.
Mian Abuzar Shad said that when meters are damaged or malfunctioning, LESCO bills consumers based on average annual consumption, which does not reflect the seasonal variation in electricity use. He proposed that average billing should be calculated using consumption data from the same month of the previous year and that LESCO should prioritize the replacement of faulty meters reported by users.
LCCI office-bearers and Executive Committee Members also discussed the high transmission losses, which significantly contribute to Pakistan’s energy shortfall. According to NEPRA’s State of Industry Report 2022–23, LESCO’s line losses were 11.3%, resulting in a loss of approximately Rs. 21.8 billion. Alarmingly, these losses increased to 16% in 2023–24, amounting to Rs. 47.6 billion. LCCI demanded to know what steps LESCO is taking to reduce losses to 8% or below.
The LCCI President said that to promote energy conservation, LESCO was advised to launch public awareness campaigns encouraging the use of energy-efficient appliances. LCCI offered its halls for conducting awareness sessions in collaboration with LESCO. As summer intensifies, heavy and consistent loads lead to feeder and transformer tripping and damage. LCCI stressed that LESCO must regularly upgrade its systems to ensure uninterrupted power supply and stable voltage during peak demand seasons.
The LCCI office-bearers welcomed the launch of the LESCO mobile app and requested that its key features be shared with members to save time and improve service access. They also urged LESCO to appoint a dedicated focal person to facilitate swift communication between Chamber members and relevant LESCO officials for timely resolution of complaints.
