Meter reading: Consumers in Chitral question Pesco’s new app

CHITRAL: The mobile application recently launched by the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) has created concerns among users in Chitral.

The locals argued that the app was not practical for the region’s unique conditions and is causing more problems than it solves.According to residents, nearly 50percent of electricity meters in the area are mounted on electric poles or placed in hard-to-reach locations. The positioning, officials claim, was meant to prevent electricity theft. However, in many cases, the residents said the multiple meters were installed on a single pole, making it difficult for consumers to even identify their own meter.

The consumers said that the app assumed every household has access to an android smartphone and that all users were tech-savvy. However, many residents, they said, lack smartphones or the literacy required to navigate the app and submit accurate meter readings.

Frustrated by the inconvenience, the local consumers have called on Pesco to immediately discontinue the new digital system and revert to the previous method, where trained personnel were responsible for reading meters and generating bills.