PESCO replaces old electricity meters with automatic-reading devices
- New automatic meter-reading meters will reduce reliance on manual readings across PESCO’s service area.
- A separate distribution upgrade plan includes 65,000 AMI meters and aerial bundled cables on 60 feeders.
- The revised Electricity Distribution Efficiency Improvement Project has a total cost of Rs30.256 billion.
The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) has started replacing old electricity meters with modern automatic meter-reading (AMR) devices across its service area to record consumption automatically and reduce reliance on manual readings.
In a statement shared on social media, the company said installation was underway on the directives of Chief Executive Akhtar Hameed Khan.
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The rollout comes alongside PESCO’s wider efforts to modernise its distribution network and improve operational efficiency, particularly in the Peshawar and Khyber circles.
Under its Electricity Distribution Efficiency Improvement Project (EDEIP), PESCO had earlier planned the installation of 65,000 Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters.
The revised PC-I allocates Rs1.82 billion for the installation of 5–20kW AMI meters, with the component’s dollar cost listed at $6.5 million.
The project also includes installing aerial bundled cable (ABC) on 60 feeders across the Peshawar and Khyber circles. The cables will cover a combined distance of 1,298 kilometres.
The revised allocation for this work is Rs3.415 billion, comprising Rs683.043 million in local costs and Rs2.732 billion in foreign costs.
A further Rs2.67 billion has been allocated for technical assistance. This component covers metering and testing equipment, transformer workshops, testing and protection facilities, personal protective equipment, information technology and vehicles.
Training and capacity building have a separate allocation of Rs126 million, while Rs560 million has been earmarked for support with project implementation.
The overall revised cost of EDEIP stands at Rs30.256 billion, equivalent to $108.056 million. This includes Rs8.988 billion in local costs and Rs21.268 billion in foreign costs.
The project estimates also account for financing costs, price and physical contingencies, and overheads associated with PESCO’s project support.
