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BREB to set up 7.5 lakh more prepaid meters by Dec 2019


Bangladeshpost
Published : 16 Sep 2019 09:02 PM | Updated : 06 Sep 2020 06:03 AM

As part of the government plan to replace 2.0 crore traditional meters by prepaid ones within 2025, Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) will set up 7.50 lakh more meters within December 2019, reports BSS.

“We have installed 4 lakh prepaid meters up to June 2019 under BREB areas of Dhaka Division and another 7.50 lakh meters will be installed within December 2019,” Project Director of Prepayment Meter Project in BREB Md Rafiqul Islam told BSS. He said as a part of the government vision-2021, a plan has been taken to install 31 lakh more smart prepayment meters within 2021, adding, “Currently the government is providing 01 percent rebate on electricity recharge amount. As the prepayment meter bills on actual uses, so there is no chance of ghost billing, consumers’ sufferings and other anomalies in the power sector”.

In addition, prepayment meters protect the appliances (Light, Fan, Refrigerator etc) from voltage fluctuation, the project director said. “To utilize electricity properly, reduce the misuse of electricity and to facilitate the automatic billing system, the government has introduced the prepayment meters in BREB,” he said.

Talking to BSS State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said the government has taken initiatives to replace 2.0 crore traditional meters by prepaid meters within 2025 for ensuring transparency in electricity billing system. “The government under the honest and sincere leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is committed to provide electricity for all within -2021 as per the slogan of the government-Sheikh Hasina’s initiative for reaching electricity in every house,” he added.

The project director of BREB said that being a prepayment meter consumer, one can pay his/her electricity bill from any mobile recharge center as well as from consumers’ mobile phone or mobile apps without going to utility premises or banks. “For this reason consumers can save their precious time, avoid harassment along with ghost bills. In future the services will be more modern to recharge the prepayment meters through on-line from consumers’ mobile or mobile apps,” he said.

According to the project details, through the Prepayment meter, consumers can assess their present running load, consumed units, remaining balance and last six-month history of uses. In addition, after credit expiry of prepayment meters, consumers can enjoy emergency credit by Taka 100, friendly hour from 4pm to 10am. In the weekend and holiday, power supply will not be cut-off in spite of credit expiry. Consumers can enjoy that facility one time for each recharge.

Besides, the prepayment meter does not allow over-loading. On the other hand, prepayment meters enforce the consumers to reduce the use of power at peak time and to use required electricity in off-peak time. So, off peak time consumptions will increase and peak time consumption will decrease.

As a result, the capacity of electricity system from generation to distribution will improve and cost of electricity will come down which is an important objective of smart grid.