Lesco power losses on top in Punjab

LAHORE: Despite running much-touted year-long drive against power theft, Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) has emerged as primary offender in power losses, according to latest official data.

Lesco’s power losses stand at 13.1 percent against Multan Electric Power Company’s (Mepco) 11.9 percent by end of November 2024 as it becomes the biggest power pilferer in the Punjab province, according to Power Information Technology Company (PITC) data.

Despite persistent efforts to curb power theft by the incumbent government, Lesco continues to grapple with significant losses. Lesco has a higher monthly and progressive T&D loss percentage compared to Mepco. This indicates that Lesco is losing a larger portion of electricity during transmission and distribution. While still having significant T&D losses, Mepco has shown some improvement in recent months, as indicated by the negative monthly losses. This suggests that Mepco is making concerted efforts, unlike Lesco, to reduce its losses.

Headquartered in provincial capital, Lesco is a public sector power distribution company that supplies electricity to more than 6.4 million consumers in the districts of Lahore, Okara, Sheikhupura, Nankana and Kasur in the province of Punjab. The power utility is one of the largest distribution companies and feeds electricity in the heart of the country where better law and order situation and other factors warrant efficient distribution system with least power losses. According to the data, Lesco’s T&D losses for November 2024 progressively swelled to the top if compared other distribution companies working in the province. In comparison, Gujranwala Electric Power Company’s (Gepco) losses stand at 6.7 percent, Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) at 6.0 percent, Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) 4.6 percent and MEPCO at 11.9 percent. Lesco’s performance has been a subject of scrutiny and criticism for several years. The company has consistently struggled with high transmission and distribution (T&D) losses, low recovery rates, and unreliable power supply. When contacted, Lesco spokesperson did not offer any comment on company’s abysmally poor performance. Without denying the rising trend in power utility losses, he said he could share company’s version tomorrow.