Pesco officials take oath for accurate meter reading

PESHAWAR: The employees of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) on Saturday took oath that they would honestly record the meter readings and maintain high standards of accuracy to thwart power theft in all its forms.
This oath-taking is a part of Pesco’s drastic efforts to improve customer experience by discouraging over and under billing mainly caused by misreading on the part of meter readers, who, sometimes, clock up guesstimated numbers without going into the field. Meter readers are also accused of overlooking power theft.
“Pesco is converting all its manual process to automation and the billing of 110 subdivisions has been shifted on mobile meters for customer satisfaction and accuracy,” said Shabbir Ahmad, chief executive at Pesco after placing the meter readers under oath at a ceremony held at the utility’s office.
“The power company has achieved around 85 percent accuracy and installed over 12,000 automated meter reading systems on high-end customers, consuming above 20 kilowatts for real time billing.”
Experts said power utilities can decrease commercial losses by improving the traditional methods and introducing new technology to add to their efficiency, services, and revenue. Such non-technical losses comprise inaccuracy in meter reading and non-payment of billing.
Ahmad said online new connection forms have already been introduced, while online metering application form is also available on Pesco’s website to facilitate the consumers who are interested in selling energy produced by solar or any other alternative means.
“Pesco has increased its networking connectivity to 76 accounting/field offices for better flow of information and official correspondence, whereas up to 84 percent implementation of photo meter reading system has been completed to curb electricity pilferage,” the chief executive said.
Earlier this year, Anwar-Ul-Haq Yousafzai, the former Pesco chief, had tasked his team with 100 percent implementation of photo meter reading system.
Power theft is a leading cause of ballooning circular debt. Every year, it costs billions of rupees to distribution companies. Circular debt is principally an upshot of under-recovery from consumers and detrimental to the economy in many ways. GDP growth is also dependent on uninterrupted power supply. Non-utilisation of alternative energy resources weighs on the power generation.
Currently, it is hard to quantify the revenues lost to illegal connections, unbilled consumption, and non-payment of bills. These losses reach up to 50 percent in some parts of South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the central Asian countries. Power distribution companies are receiving only half the revenue in the region. The losses are estimated to be in billions of dollars only in South Asia, especially India and Pakistan.