LESCO bans market purchase of smart meters for industries

In a significant policy shift, the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has barred large commercial and industrial consumers from purchasing smart meters directly from the market. 

Instead, the company's Material Management Department has issued a notification directing consumers to obtain demand notices for meter installation, 24NewsHD TV Channel reported on Sunday.

According to the notification, LESCO has stopped issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for the purchase of Time-of-Use (TOU) smart meters and will now only proceed with installations once demand notices are issued and fulfilled through company-provided stock.

This move comes after numerous complaints from consumers who, despite holding valid NOCs, were unable to find approved smart meters in the market. A key reason cited was the lack of inspection certificates with approved vendors, which halted meter sales.

The LT-type meters, typically used for high-load commercial and industrial connections, had already seen a shift in policy earlier in April when LESCO prohibited the installation of traditional TOU meters.

Following that restriction, NOCs were initially issued to allow consumers to buy meters from the open market. However, due to continued shortages and certification issues, LESCO has now centralised meter supply under its own system via demand notices.

Reporter: Shahid Sipra