Uniform Prepaid E-metering System
A big chunk of electricity that power companies generate is lost or remains unaccounted for. This is partly due to the technical losses at the power plants and in the transmission and distribution lines. There is another 5-7% loss due to non-technical reasons at customer level such as tampering with the meter, illegal connection and so on.
Various attempts have been made to address these vexing problems of non-technical losses such as contracting out meter reading and billing, computerized billing and cut-offs and legal penalties. But nothing has been 100% successful so far. However, amongst all the efforts and endeavors, the one approach that proved to be consumer friendly and cost effective was the prepaid metering system.
Pre-payment metering system can reduce accounts receivable and non-technical losses up to zero per cent. The idea of using prepaid meters to stem the financial drain on Bangladesh power companies was born over ten years ago. This was a result of collaboration between the BPDB and the KfW Entwicklungsbank, which provides financial assistance to Bangladesh on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).BPDB received a grant of 4.09 million Euros from the German government through KfW for the cost of a pilot prepaid metering project in Chittagong. BPDB had introduced this pilot project in the port city Chittagong, before installing pre-paid meters across the country.
There are two types of prepaid meters that are generally used. (a) Keypad type has a technology for both "unit transfer system" & "currency transfer system" and (b) Smart Card type has a technology only for "currency transfer system”. The customers interviewed in the pilot area pointed that they were satisfied using prepaid meters. The overall customer services had considerably improved in the areas where prepaid meters had been introduced.
Advantages of Prepaid Meter:
Customers benefit is:
The power company's benefits are:
DESCO's Prepaid Meter Designed by BUET:
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) designed and developed pre-paid meter for end use electricity consumers. DESCO quickly extended its financial support to BUET for commercialization of pre-paid meters. DESCO has set up a "Pre-paid meters Production Unit" with the technical assistance of IICT, BUET at Mirpur.
In the first phase 5000 single phase meters were supplied by BUET from their production house. In the second phase, another single phase 5000 meter and 1000 three phase meter were produce in DESCO’s own production house. Up to August 2011 about 10261 numbers of prepaid meters have been installed in Uttara residential area. Presently the prepaid meter repairing process is going on and the planning for the production of another 20,000 pre-paid meter is all most completed. After the production, these meters will be used in other residential areas like Gulshan, Banani, Mirpur and Baridhara.
A modern consumer friendly pre-paid metering system has been introduced for the valued consumers of the capital, by DESCO. This prepaid metering system is a two-way communication based on smart card technology that allows the customers to charge their advance electricity bill through DESCO's vending station in the SMART CARD.
How does a pre-payment scheme works?
Features of the pre-payment system
Uniform Pre Paid e-Metering System:
Electricity is a vital element required for economic growth, poverty reduction and social development. For a stable and economically viable electricity distribution system and an effective and trust worthy revenue collection system a country wide pre-paid metering system is evident. An adaptation of pre-paid metering system can change the needs and the requirements of better solution for the utility companies that make the whole distribution system more dynamic and digitally enhanced. The Power Division has taken the initiative through all distribution utilities to implement a pre-payment metering system with a view to reduce non-technical losses, increase the revenue collection, improve customer's service and reduce the accounts receivable. Government of Bangladesh (GOB) has given priority to prepayment metering system, considering all the benefits. A project named "Pre-payment e-metering project” has been taken through BPDB for distribution entities which has been approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC). Under this project about 35,000 (31500 single phase & 3500 three phase) prepaid meters will be installed in DPDC, DESCO, BPDB, REB
Diagrammatic view of Uniform Pre-paid metering System
and WZPDCO distribution areas by April 2012. DPDC is to install 10,000, DESCO will install 10,000 and each of the utility BPDB, REB & WZPDCO will install 5000 prepaid meters consecutively, under this program. GoB has a long term plan to install 2 million pre-paid meters across the country as well.
Special features of Uniform Pre paid metering system are: