Islamabad: In a move aimed at promoting transparency and consumer empowerment in electricity billing, the Ministry of Power Division has launched a new initiative titled “My Meter, My Reading”, integrated within the PowerSmart mobile app.
The initiative allows electricity consumers to take a photo of their electricity meter on a specified date and upload it directly through the app. This user-submitted reading will then be used as the official basis for monthly billing, ensuring accuracy and avoiding delays or manipulation in the meter reading process.
Officials describe this not just as a tech upgrade, but as a significant governance reform that puts power back in the hands of consumers, enabling them to actively monitor and verify their own electricity usage and billing.
Key Features of the PowerSmart App:
- Self-Reading Submission:
Consumers can upload a clear photo of their meter on the assigned date, which will override any later reading taken by the utility’s meter reader. - Subsidy Protection for Low-Usage Users:
The app helps protect eligible consumers who fall under the 200-unit monthly electricity consumption slab, which qualifies them for government subsidies.
A small error in reading—even by just one unit—can shift the bill from approximately PKR 2,330 to as high as PKR 8,104, due to subsidy disqualification. Timely self-readings can prevent this. - Reduction in Overbilling and Disputes:
By enabling users to control their reading, the system aims to drastically reduce complaints, billing errors, and potential overcharges caused by estimated or manipulated readings. - Consumer Empowerment:
Citizens are now active participants in the billing cycle, with increased transparency and accountability in the power sector.
The app has been launched under the leadership of Federal Minister for Energy Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, alongside Secretary Dr. Fakhar Alam and the development team who envisioned and executed this forward-looking reform.
This innovation is expected to strengthen trust in the utility billing process and pave the way for tech-driven governance improvements in other sectors as well.
