Government Plans Transformer-Level System to Control Electricity Theft
The federal government has announced plans to introduce a transformer-level system aimed at reducing electricity theft and improving power load management across Pakistan.
Federal Energy Minister Awais Leghari said the proposed system will enable authorities to disconnect individual transformers where electricity theft is detected, rather than shutting down an entire feeder.
System Planned for 190,000 Transformers
Speaking to journalists at Parliament House, Leghari said the government intends to install the new on-off mechanism on approximately 190,000 transformers across the country.
He added that the regulatory framework for the system is expected to be finalized by April or May next year.
The minister said the approach is already being used in different parts of the world and could help power distribution companies take more targeted action against electricity theft.
Under the proposed mechanism, authorities would be able to isolate transformers associated with high theft levels while keeping electricity supplies running in other areas connected to the same feeder.
Focus on Targeted Action Against Power Theft
Currently, action against electricity theft can sometimes involve shutting down an entire feeder, affecting a larger number of consumers.
The proposed transformer-level approach is intended to make such interventions more targeted. Distribution companies would be able to identify problematic transformers and manage their supply separately.
The government expects the system to support both electricity theft control and more effective load management.
Government Also Discusses Net Metering Changes
Leghari also discussed recent changes to Pakistan’s net metering framework.
According to the minister, the changes have encouraged consumers to adopt battery storage systems while helping prevent the additional financial burden associated with distributed power generation from being shifted to the broader consumer base.
He said the previous arrangement could have resulted in the impact of around 300,000 to 400,000 consumers being distributed among approximately 35 million other consumers.
The government is continuing to review the country’s electricity distribution and pricing mechanisms as part of wider efforts to address power-sector challenges.
