Thursday, August 28, 2008 Meralco to try prepaid meter scheme
THE Manila Electric Company (Meralco) will test the prepaid meter scheme this month to determine its viability in resolving the high cost of power in the country.
Jesus Francisco, president of Meralco, said they will install the prepaid meter which would cost initially around P8,000 to P10,000 to the selected customers under the pilot test program.
Francisco said the prepaid metering scheme is expected to cut pilferage and address the high cost of power in the country.
Less than a hundred homes in Metro Manila were selected to be the pilot test for the prepaid metering scheme, said Robert Almazora, first vice president and head of the customer retail services of Meralco.
Almazora explained that Meralco wanted to try other technologies available in the market now and prepaid metering system is one of them.
He added that other options they were exploring are the system being used by telecommunication providers where one customer can share his or her "load" to the customer using the prepaid meter.
The prepaid metering system was adopted by the government to give consumers other means, by which they could reduce and control their electric consumption on a monthly basis.
Former Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairman Rodolfo Albano said the agency is now drafting and finalizing the rules on prepaid metering scheme.
"The prepaid scheme will reduce the rates of electricity in the sense that there will be lessen employees to be employed by utilities and consumers will be able to control their consumption," Albano said.
He said the prepaid scheme would be similar to the prepaid system being offered by telecommunications providers, such as Globe Telecoms and Smart Communications.
At present, countries using prepaid metering system include Africa, the United States and China. (MSN/Sunnex)
