ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) has decided to surrender a large number of meter readers following the implementation of the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system, with a view to ensuring their optimal utilization.
In a letter addressed to the Additional Chief Engineer (Operation), Cantt Circle Rawalpindi, the Director General (HR), IESCO, stated that the top management has directed a phased surrender of Meter Readers (MRs) posted in sub-divisions where AMI has been implemented. Under the plan, 50 percent of meter readers will be surrendered immediately, 25 percent by the end of May 2026, and the remaining 25 percent by the end of June 2026.
According to IESCO headquarters, all surrendered meter readers will report to the HR Directorate at IESCO HQ for their adjustment in other circles, aimed at ensuring 100 percent meter reading with improved accuracy.
The company acknowledged the dedication and hard work of its meter reading staff, noting that they have consistently ensured accurate billing and effective customer service.
However, with AMI taking root in Rawalpindi’s Cantt and City circles, the traditional role of meter readers is evolving into a more technology-driven function. The transition, it emphasized, is part of modernization and not a reflection of staff performance.
IESCO further assured that the services of meter reading staff will remain essential, particularly in areas where manual reading is still required. The move is part of broader efforts to enhance operational efficiency and ensure optimal deployment of human resources.
In a separate communication, the Chief Engineer (CSD), IESCO, informed the HR department that the issue had been discussed with the Project Director (AMI) on April 6, 2026. A list of sub-divisions where AMI meters have been installed was shared during the meeting. It was also revealed that a NEPRA team, during its inspection of the AMI project, recommended reducing meter reader deployment in AMI-covered areas to improve cost efficiency.
It was proposed that 50 percent of meter readers working in AMI-implemented sub-divisions be declared surplus and redeployed to IESCO’s Islamabad Operation Circle and other areas facing acute staff shortages. These include Bhara Kahu (Rural), Nilore, Murree, Patriata, and Jhika Gali, where table-based meter reading is currently being carried out due to insufficient staff—an arrangement that is inconsistent with NEPRA’s Customer Service Manual (CSM).
The Chief Engineer emphasized that ensuring accurate billing remains IESCO’s primary responsibility, warning that table reading can lead to over billing or underbilling, both of which are unacceptable. Such discrepancies are also being closely monitored by the Ministry of Energy (Power Division), PPMC, and NEPRA.
“To avoid inaccurate billing, it is proposed that surplus meter readers from AMI-implemented sub-divisions in Rawalpindi’s Cantt and City circles be posted to Islamabad and other operational circles, subject to approval of the competent authority,” the letter concluded.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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