Prepayment Metering System a Simplified Concept

Prepayment metering system is very simple concept. The consumer has a new kind of meter installed in his house, which has an inbuilt disconnection device. The consumer buys electricity in advance by paying at any of the Vending office. Once the amount is exhausted the meter automatically disconnects the supply after providing an alarm if it is not recharged before total exhaustion. If disconnected, the consumer can reconnect himself by buying electricity and recharging the meter.

Historically, the first prepayment meters were manufactured by GE in the year 1899 which were coin operated similar to the coin operated telephone booths. Technological advancement saw new generation of Prepayment Meters using Magnetic cards and then Smart cards. The latest generation of Prepayment Meters uses Keypad technology, wherein there is a telephone like keypad on the meter for recharging.

Presently, prepayment meters have been deployed across the globe. South Africa and UK have deployed this system in huge volumes and with considerable success. Other countries that have adopted the system include Brunei, Argentina, USA, Poland, New Zealand, Malaysia, Israel, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kuwait, France, Bangladesh and India.

Distribution companies in Bangladesh have introduced prepayment metering system as a pilot project in various areas like Dhaka, Bogra, Sirajgonj, Sylhet, and Chittagong. In Chittagong itself there are two projects running – one at Agrabad and the other at Khulshi.

The prepayment metering project at Khulshi, Chittagong done implemented jointly by PRI, UK and K.C.J & Associates Ltd., Dhaka has been deployed with latest Keypad technology. . This system is easy to use for the normal consumer as it is very similar to the prepaid mobile system This system is flexible enough to support all kinds of tariff in Bangladesh including slab and peak-off peak tariffs.

The Project at Chittagong is being funded by Federal Republic of Germany through KfW Bank. The consultancy to the project has been provided by world renowned Consultants – Fichtner, Germany and UDS, South Africa. The project is a turnkey project and has been provided to the Joint Venture of PRI, UK & the Operating Company K.C.J & Associates Ltd. by means of International Competitive Bidding. The project at Chittagong has been able to win the hearts of the people by addressing their metering and billing concerns and providing them with an acceptable solution. All the consumers are excited to have this new system as they are able to budget their consumption and also monitor their daily, weekly and monthly consumption. They feel they have become more conscious of their energy usage and trying their best to conserve it. Success of Prepayment project in Bangladesh has resulted in creating positive environment for future investment in huge deployment of this technology. All the stakeholders feel that this is going to be a win-win for all the people of Bangladesh including the Electricity distribution companies, the consumers and the regulators. In future Bangladesh will come many project of prepayment metering system. It is very much necessary for our country because we have lot shortage of electricity. This prepayment metering system make consumer very conscious about using electricity. This consciousness is necessary for all the people of our country to save electricity, water and natural gas.

Bangladesh is one of the world’s poorest and most densely populated countries. Natural gas is the only significant source of commercial energy, and accounts for almost 75% of commercial energy consumption. The largest gas consumers are the power and fertilizer industries, which account for around 70% of daily production.

If we see the daily gas production & distribution report of Petrobangla dated January 26, 2009 present production capacity o

f BGFCL per day is 714 MMcf but supply approximately 701.5 MMcf from their Titas, Bakhrabad, Habiganj, Narshindi & Megna gas field. Production capacity of SGFL per day is 170 MMcf but supply approximately 159.5 MMcf from their Sylhet, Kailashtila # 1, Kailashtila # 2, Rashidpur, & Beanibazar gas field. Production capacity of BAPEX per day is 43 MMcf but supply approximately 42.1 MMcf from their

Salda & Fenchuganj gas field Production capacity of others company (CAIRN, CHEVRON, NIKO & TULLOW) per day is 943 MMcf but supply approximately 899 MMcf from their

Sangu, Jalalabad, Maulavibazar, Bibiyana, Feni & Bangura gas field.So, total natural gas production capacity of Bangladesh per day is 1870 MMcf but supply approximately 1802.2

MMcf.

Presently total maximum demand of natural gas to the power generation field of Bangladesh to generate electricity is 922 MMcf but get supply approximately 627 MMcf. Power sector need more 294.2 MMcf natural gas to fulfill their present maximum demand.

Fertilizer companies’ present total maximum demand is 289 MMcf but they get supply approximately 224.2 MMcf. There are many field need to use natural gas like Knitting Mills, germinates, CNG pumps, hotels, restaurants & domestic use for cooking.

However, is insufficient to meet the projected growth in demand gas consumption.

With Bangladesh’s demand for natural gas rising at a rate of 10% per annum and its supply capacity dangerously close to consumption, new natural gas developments will be required to underpin economic growth. The Bangladeshi Government is aiming to electrify the entire country by 2020, and as only 30% of the population currently has access to electrical power, there is considerable requirement for new power generation.

Future gas demand projections envisage only limited growth in the fertilizer sector, so the power sector, along with growth in the industrial.

Our government can implement this prepayment system in the natural gas sector of our country. People of our country are not so much conscious about using the natural gas they frequently wastage the natural gas to save a stick of match. So need to make them conscious to prevent wastage of natural gas because we can’t make natural gas it is god gifted natural resource. If we want, we can make electricity but we can’t make natural gas. We will have to be very much serious about preventing wastage of natural gas. It will be very much wise decision to implement the prepayment metering system is natural gas sector of our country to save our natural gas.