The Engineering Development Board (EDB) has advised the local electricity meter manufacturers to produce high-tech Solid State Meters and automatic meter reading systems which can reduce the meter reading expenses by 40 percent, EDB sources told Business Recorder here on Sunday.
They said the Pakistan Meter Manufacturing Industry produces around three million single phase and 30,000 three-phase meters annually, but is lagging far behind for it is not adopting new technologies to be part of the global supply chain.
They estimated that electronic meters are poised to expand their share of overall market revenues from current 57 to 76 percent by 2010 since solid state meters and automatic meter reading systems improve cash flows, facilitate accounting, considerably reduce theft and line losses and eliminate incorrect and fictitious meter-reading chances.
They said that the Pakistani electricity production, transmission and distribution units and the consumers would greatly benefit from this new technology, therefore, the EDB is arranging the participation of local industry in the world international fairs and exhibitions.
They said that Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and China are the main exporters of electricity meters in an international market of over $1.038 billion.
"Although Pakistan stands at No 8 in the list of electricity exporters, but if it did not adopt the new systems of meter readings, then it would loose its current meagre export share.