Oversight of the use of electricity and natural gas has been discussed at a video session chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

These two energy resources are critical for contemporary life and economy. Uzbekistan has experienced considerable losses in their delivery since their production infrastructure was in need of major modernization for years. The necessity to streamline accounting in this sector requires introduction of automated systems.

Thus, in 7 districts and towns across the nation with such a scheme for monitoring and metering the power supply, collection of payments from consumers has grown by 40 percent, and accounts receivable decreased by 20 percent. Plans are underway to extend this system to the entire country.

The video meeting thus served to thoroughly analyze comprehensive implementation of automated control and metering systems for electricity and natural gas supply.

About $ 1.2 billion, as it was noted, is allocated for these purposes.

“The effectiveness and return on these funds cannot be ensured by just installing modern meters,” the President suggested appealing to the officials in charge of the sectors. “In other words, just knowing how much energy the consumer has used is not enough to prevent losses and theft in the system. Instead, it is essential to conceive of an integral online system covering each link in the chain “energy producer - backbone networks - distribution networks - consumer”.

The head of our state stressed the importance of extensive installation of meters, organization of service centers for their maintenance, uninterrupted operation of devices, arrangement of training qualified personnel.

Hokims, sector leaders and mahalla activists were urged to work with the population, especially when it comes to explaining the significance of timely payments for energy consumption and the inadmissibility of illegal connection to the network.

Today, almost 4 million power meters have been installed throughout the country, 2 million of which are attached to a single electronic database. Shavkat Mirziyoyev thus tasked the joint-stock company Hududiy Elektr Tarmoqlari (Regional Power Networks) with fixing another 3.5 million electricity meters by the end of the year and launching the automated system at full by 1 March 2021.

In addition, the President instructed to install electronic meters at major consumers and business entities, in distribution points and transformers, and tie them into a single online database.

In its turn, Hududgaztaminot (Regional Gas Supply) JSC, it was noted, will have to install 1.2 million modern gas meters by the end of this year, and another 2.3 million units during the first half of next year.

In this respect, the priority will be given in the next 4 months to 22 districts and cities with a high level of natural gas consumption and debt indicators. More than 4 thousand big consumers, gas filling stations and gas production enterprises, as well as 850 greenhouses will be connected to the automated system.

The Ministry of Energy has been urged to coordinate and oversee the delivery, installation and connection of meters in every district and city.

Hokims of regions, districts and towns were instructed to establish working groups, coordinate, together with mahalla chairpeople, the process of installing modern meters among the population, and rapidly address emerging problems.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that for the effective operation of systems being created it is crucial to organize training for technical personnel and IT specialists of the joint-stock companies Hududiy Elektr Tarmoqlari and Hududgaztaminot, to hone their qualifications and skills in working with the automated accounting system, improve their ability to make full use of its capacities and convenience. Directives were given regarding the establishment of the system of repair and maintenance of meters and other equipment in each region.

The meeting participants also discussed issues of reducing accounts receivable for power and natural gas supply.

Industry leaders reported on measures under consideration to introduce automated systems.

Source: Official website of the President of Uzbekistan