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As a part of the government’s plan to bring all consumers of power under smart prepayment metering system, a move is underway to install 1.4 million (1400,000) smart prepayment meters under jurisdiction areas of Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC).
“DPDC has already brought 460,000 consumers under pre-payment metering system and the rest will come under the system in phases,” Managing Director of DPDC Engineer Bikash Dewan said today (Wednesday).
He said DPDC is on the way of implementing advanced metering infrastructure and smart pre-payment meters project based on radio frequency communication for the first time in the country.
According to official statistics, the state owned DPDC has undertaken a project to install more 850,000 smart pre-payment meters in the areas under its jurisdiction from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2021.
Bikash Dewan said “The Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) will work as backbone of the DPDC’s smart grid activities.”
Talking to BSS earlier, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said the government has a plan to bring all consumers under smart pre-payment metering system aimed at reducing system loss, pilferage and overbilling in power consumption across the country.
He said six distribution companies under power division will install smart pre-payment meters across the country in phases. Pre-payment metering system can reduce non-technical losses up to zero per cent, he added.
“The government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has relentlessly been working to bring all citizens under power coverage as our power generation capacity now reached 23,548 MW. We are also working hard to supply uninterrupted electricity to all,” Nasrul Hamid said.
He said power distribution companies have undertaken various project to set up smart pre-payment meters across the country to reduce system loss, pilferage and bill arrears.
The official statistics said the government has decided to provide customers with an opportunity to procure smart pre-payment meters from open market, as its demand is considerably increasing.
To this end, the government formulated a policy, which will help power consumers procure quality smart prepayment meters from the open market, and smooth supply of necessary services.
It is mentioned that the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) took a pilot prepaid metering project in Chattogram before installing pre-paid meters across the country, reports BSS.