By Ali Raza
LAHORE –The power sector of Pakistan is combating electricity theft, a major hurdle for this sector which significantly hits the revenue collection. The menace is plaguing the entire system, with multiple factors contributing to its existence.
Lack of Modern Infrastructure
The main causal factors for the continued incidence of electricity theft are the poor and obsolete metering and monitoring instruments. A major challenge that many areas in Pakistan face is the lack of use of new equipped electronic meters; this has greatly affected the ability to measure electricity consumption effectively.
A very small number of households have had smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) installed, making the problem worse.
Grid Management Issues
Similarly, the distribution grid for electricity in Pakistan is also rather undeveloped. Old age of the transmission and distribution networks, congested power lines, and weak or no monitoring and control systems, coupled with low level of interconnection of smart and automation systems to check thefts increase the vulnerability to electricity theft.
Corruption and Political Interference
Many challenges hinder electricity theft prevention, the following being among them; corrupt practices and political interferences in the power sector. Corruption especially involving the officials of electric supply companies and customers, influence by political stakeholders to either acquiesce to or overlook cases of electricity theft, and poor supervisory measures and disclosure in the power sector also play a role.
Socio-Economic Factors
It has been established that, in some regions, segments of the population and businesses appreciate electricity theft as a necessity for survival. It will be observed that high tariffs for electrical energy, restricted availability of electrical energy, and limited economic resources can partly contribute to the act of electricity theft.
Limited Enforcement and Penalties
Some anti-electricity theft legislation may not be tough for many authorities to implement, or the fines may not act as strong deterrents. Some of the challenges include; The problem is compounded by limited availability of resources and capacities in enforcement agencies, detected and implementation of legal frameworks and regulations On electricity theft, the public is generally not fully informed or educated as per the risks involved.
Technical Limitations
These short coms are Technical where Pakistan power sector suffers from archaic infrastructure, transmission and distribution losses, and limited generation capacity. These technical issues can be said to foster electricity theft This is due to the following technical features that are experienced in the above mentioned networks.
Public Awareness
Many consumers receive electricity stolen by unscrupulous individuals and most of them do not feel the impact of paying for the electricity they consume. Lack of sufficient public enlightenment campaigns, absence of sufficient information on electricity theft and its effects, and minimal interaction with the consumer and stakeholders are factors to this.
Solution
To assess and fight electricity theft in Pakistan, it is a ripe time to turn to a holistic approach.
With the help of these important factors, the power sector of Pakistan can tackle electricity theft. The factors are: upgrading and modernizing the grid and metering infrastructure, strengthening laws and regulations, with stricter enforcement, developing relevant policies, raising public awareness and education, addressing socio-economic factors that contribute to theft, enhancing technical skills in the power sector and promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance.
If power sector works on these issues, it will decrease the tendency to steal electricity and bring better change and stability in the transmission and generation of electricity, which are imperative for inclusive sustainable growth.
