ISLAMABAD: With an aim to ensure zero electricity management, also known as loadshedding by 2026, Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) has installed 275,000 Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters in Rawalpindi city and cantonment areas.

The installation process of AMI meters equipped with modern technology and requirements is going on rapidly in operation circles of Iesco.

Project Director AMI Mohsin Raza Gilani, while giving details, said in the initial phase AMI meters were being installed in Rawalpindi city and cantonment circles.

So far 275,000 AMI meters have replaced old electricity meters and it is hoped that by the end of 2026, 1.2 million old meters in Rawalpindi city and cantonment circles will be replaced with AMI meters.

He said in the areas of Korang, Soan, DHA 2, Chaklala, Chandni Chowk, F Block, Saham, Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, Gangal, Murree Road, PWD, National Police Foundation and Media Town areas, AMI meters have been installed and it is hoped that the target of installation of 1.2 million AMI meters will be achieved within the stipulated period.

“AMI meters will ensure automatic meter reading, control of electricity theft, elimination of system overloading, reduction in burn incidents of transformers and meters and will also ensure timely registration and rectification of Iesco customers complaints,” he said.

According to Iesco spokesperson Raja Asim, the decision will help eliminate line losses and power theft.

“As a result of the new system, human involvement in the process of meter reading will be negligible and Iesco will be able to manage the load for every house and the industrial sector. Due to AMI, the consumers will get data in real-time regarding power consumption,” he said.

It is worth mentioning here that initially there were complaints regarding meter readings but the issue was addressed after the introduction of an advanced mechanism in which meter readers were directed to file pictures of meters at the time of the reading.

Raja Asim said the AMI would be beneficial for consumers and the company, adding that it was decided that in the first phase, AMI would be introduced in all commercial units - Rawalpindi City and Cantonment Circle - and all areas where line losses or power theft were at maximum level.

The spokesperson had earlier said through these devices, the company would not let transformers overheat during summer season. It will also inform how many houses were using electricity beyond their authorised limit, he said, adding that the device installed on the transformer would reduce the load automatically if a consumer was found exceeding the set limit.

“If one air conditioner would be running in one house and another house would be operating five ACs, Iesco will be able to ensure that all houses would use only one air conditioner to decrease the load on the transformer,” he added.

“At the end of the month, electricity bills would be generated automatically because of the second device affixed on the transformer,” he had said, adding that this practice would reduce the expenses incurred on meter readings.

Moreover, consumers will also get real-time data regarding electricity use and will be able to manage their power consumption, the spokesperson had said, adding that the consumers would be able to direct the system to generate an alert to monitor the use of units.

The spokesperson said that currently, in case of electricity failure, the consumer had to lodge the complaint but AMI would automatically generate the complaint and inform Iesco.

“The new system will eliminate line losses and power theft as in case of any manhandling of a meter, an alert will be generated. Moreover, the system will identify how many watts were being sent from a transformer and how many watts were being noted by meters in a street,” the spokesperson went on to say.

“The AMI system will reduce the expenses of Iesco and consumers will not have to suffer because of transformer faults. Line losses will be reduced and consumers will pay their bills without any hesitation that they were being overcharged and their trust in Iesco will increase,” he added.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2024