Leghari says 25% Iesco consumers shifted to AMI meters, 10 million rollout planned nationwide

Federal Minister for Power Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari has said that around 25% of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) consumers have been equipped with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters, covering approximately 1.1 to 1.2 million connections.

During a visit to the Iesco AMI Control Centre, the minister said the deployment of smart meters is part of efforts to modernise the power sector and improve transparency by reducing human intervention in billing.

He said AMI meters are helping address overbilling issues and come with built-in net metering functionality, eliminating the need for replacement. Consumers can also track electricity usage through a mobile application and make payments via One Link.

Leghari said centralised monitoring of over one million meters reflects the government’s focus on a technology-driven system and added that billing-related issues within this segment are already being addressed.

He noted that in the coming months, particularly after June, consumers would have better clarity on electricity bills and system performance.

The minister said the government plans to expand the programme nationwide, with a rollout of over 10 million AMI meters in phases, prioritising the digitisation of single-phase meters.

Officials said the system enables detection of electricity theft through automated alerts and reduces operational costs associated with disconnection and reconnection, while supporting data-based decision-making.

Iesco Chairman Tahir Masood, CEO Khalid Mehmood, Chief Engineer Kamran Aftab and AMI Project Director Mohsin Raza Gilani briefed the minister on the installation and operational aspects of the system.