Thursday, July 30, 2009

Meralco Prepaid Metering System to put on test

Meralco will try a new billing scheme for electricity consumers that is similar to telecom prepaid scheme. This move is to promote saving electricity by being aware of the consumption inside the household. If a household is aware that their electricity is limited they will start to save just like what they are doing with their cellular phone. But are consumers ready for the consequence that if they run out of prepaid credit their home will be on darkness?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this scheme?

Will there be any benefits for OFW who are sending money back home to pay for electricity? Or it will just be an additiona 8000-10000 pesos expense for the new electric meter?

Meralco to test prepaid metering this month

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines’ largest electric company will begin testing prepaid power metering, a move seen to cut pilferage, costs of which are partially shouldered by consumers.Approximately 100 households in a Metro Manila village will be involved in the dry-run for the system, a senior official of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said. Prepaid metering is currently being used in South Africa, China, and the United States. A similar prepaid metering technology is being used by customers of an electric cooperative in Leyte, Meralco first vice president and customer retail services head Roberto Almazora said. Although the meter is worth anywhere from P8,000 to P10,000, Almazora said that Meralco is still “exploring the use of several technologies." Among the technologies being considered is a scheme which will allow consumers to transfer their credits to another customer, just like prepaid mobile phone “loads." Last month, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) released proposed rules for the prepaid electricity scheme. Besides requiring prepaid customers to store at least two months’ worth of power consumption, the draft rules said that the applied rates “should be based on the previous month’s postpaid rates."The same rules also require distribution utilities to cover the cost of prepaid meters and that no deposits will be collected from users. - GMANews.TV

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