Pakistan Launches Power Smart App to Empower Consumers, Cut Overbilling

ISLAMABAD — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday launched Pakistan’s new Power Smart App under the “Apna Meter, Apni Reading” initiative, empowering consumers to record and submit their own electricity meter readings to reduce overbilling and inaccurate billing practices.

The app, developed by the Power Division, aims to bring transparency to Pakistan’s electricity billing system, long criticized for errors and inflated charges.

“This is a revolutionary technological reform whose benefits will reach every household,” Prime Minister Sharif said at the launch ceremony, directing the Energy Ministry to ensure the app is widely promoted from Karachi to Peshawar.

Power Division officials explained that if both a consumer and the traditional meter reader upload a reading, the bill will be generated using the lower figure to protect consumers. Additionally, any meter reading submitted by the consumer on the designated day will override later entries by a meter reader, preventing disputes.

“This is particularly important for consumers benefiting from power subsidies,” the division said. It cited the example of a household using 200 units per month, which typically pays Rs 2,330. However, if usage rises by even one unit beyond that threshold, subsidies are lost, increasing the bill to around Rs 8,104. With the app, eligible consumers can protect their subsidies by submitting timely and correct readings.

Prime Minister Sharif urged Energy Minister Sardar Awais Leghari to strictly monitor the rollout of the new system, promising the initiative would help fix long-standing inefficiencies in Pakistan’s power sector.

The country has faced chronic energy sector challenges, including circular debt, electricity theft, and technical losses, leading to regular blackouts and high power costs, especially during summer demand peaks.

Authorities hope the Power Smart App will be a first step toward rebuilding public confidence in the billing process and reducing consumer grievances, which have plagued Pakistan’s power utilities for decades.

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