The Lahore Electric Supply Company has reported a record number of faulty and burnt electricity meters across its network.
According to official documents, more than 105,000 meters have been declared defective.
This includes 102,000 single-phase meters and around 2,400 three-phase meters found burnt or malfunctioning in LESCO-covered areas.
Despite the surge in faulty meters, replacements have slowed because the company’s meter stock is almost finished.
LESCO is required under NEPRA rules to replace every defective meter.
But due to shortages, customers are instead receiving average bills, and a “defective code” is being added to their accounts instead of installing new meters.
The situation worsened after the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) ordered a halt to installing conventional meters.
Procurement of single-phase smart meters also slowed down, delaying replacements even further.
