SHILLONG: With the proposed pre-paid metering system on power consumption by the state cabinet, consumers need to pay as they consume and there is no need for consumers to stand in queues for paying electricity bills besides it would allow consumers to budget electricity expenses, according to Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) .
As the State Cabinet approved the proposal for installation of pre-paid metering system in the state with an aim to realize the revenue on a concurrent basis, the MeECL has asserted that the pre-payment of electricity, and use of pre-paid energy meter has been accepted by most electric utilities worldwide, as a way to improve customer service, cash flow and the revenue cycle.
Reacting to queries, the MeECL PRO P.P. Kar said that the prepaid metering system provides real time consumption and information in terms of money and connected load to consumers.
Stating that this system is therefore simple, user friendly and is beneficial to both the consumers and the utilities, he said that the system will avoid the present cumbersome billing process and eliminate billing errors.
The main components of the system is a vending unit which generates a unique numeric code for a particular meter, based on the billing parameters (connected load, category, etc) and the amount of electricity purchased by the consumer. Each vending unit has a monitor and a small printer for printing the numeric code and is manned by a user.
There is another component of Master control unit which is used to add new consumers, handle consumer complaints, set the parameters for billing, provide access to users manning the vending units, among others.
There is another component of pre-paid meters and these meters (both 1-phase and 3-phase) are installed at the consumers’ premises and sealed in a pilfer-proof box. The pre-paid meter is fitted with a circuit breaker to cut off electricity supply in case, there is no more credit balance and should the load demand exceed the contracted load.
According to Kar, each meter is connected to a display unit which is installed outside the meter box, but placed inside the house of the consumer, within a distance of 20 meters from the pre-paid meter.
Through the display units, the consumer can enter the unique numeric code and also monitor other parameters, namely, energy used, current rate, credit balance, and load demand among others . The data storage capacity is for twelve months.
“In case of zero balance, the prepaid meter will not cut off power supply during friendly credit hours (5 pm to 11 am of the next day of non-working days and holidays. These parameters are pre-set by the Supervisor through the Master control unit,” he said.
With this prepaid system, tasks of meter reading, data entry of meter reading, data entry of payment made, billing processes, printing of bills, and sorting of bills are not required anymore.
Though the prepaid metering system is set to be encouraged in Meghalaya, many consumers are for the old system of postpaid metering system to continue in Meghalaya. The new prepaid system is likely to be implemented phase wise.
The Pre Paid Metering has already been installed in the MeECL residential quarters at B.C. House & at Lumjingshai.
