THE online meter reading app introduced by the power distribution companies (Discos) is more of a headache than any convenience for the consumers. The app provides only a few token services rather than genuine ones. One of the services is ‘self-reading’, which seldom works properly.
Meter reading is one of the main issues both for the Discos and energy consumers.
Owing to the lacl( of sufficient meter readers, the majority of consumers have to pay costly bills for the electricity that they have not actually consumed. The consumers have to make repeated visits to the relevant ofñcesin order to have fixed a mistake they have not made. They fail more often than not.
The app was a good initiative in this regard, allowing consumers to take the reading of their meters themselves in theabsence of the meter reader. But the app did not go well beyond a couple of months.
It now has a serious flaw regarding the self-reading option. At the end of one’s billing cycle when it is time for recording the reading, the app merely says: ‘Your meter reading date has passed. Wait for your next billing month.’ This happens on the exact date on which meter reading has to be done. One wonders if this issue is technicalorintentional.
The authorities concerned should take concrete measures to fix the issue to provide some peace of mind to the consumers.
Waseem Abbas Swabi