By Syed Shukur Ali Shuvo
DHAKA, March 12, 2020 (BSS) – As part of the government’s plan to bring
entire power consumers under smart prepayment metering system, a move is
underway to install 88 lakh smart prepayment meters in phases across the
country.
Power distribution companies will set up 22, 26,600 smart prepayment meters
in the financial year 2020-2021, an official familiar with the process told
BSS here today.
According to official statistics , Bangladesh Power Development Board
(BPDB) will set up 11,00,000 smart prepayment meters, Bangladesh Rural
Electrification Board (BREB)- 2,50,000, Dhaka Power Distribution Company
Limited (DPDC)- 76,600, Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (DESCO)-
2,00,000, West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited (WZPDCL) – 2,00,000
and Northern Electric Supply Company Limited (NESCO) will install 4,00,000
smart prepayment meters by 2020-2021.
Talking to BSS, 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 complete
installation of 20,20,000 smart prepayment meters within the current fiscal
year (2019-2020).
“The government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has relentlessly been
working to bring all citizens under power coverage as our generation
capacity now reached to 22,787 MW. We are also working hard to supply
uninterrupted electricity to all,” Nasrul said.
Director General of Power Cell Engineer Mohammad Hossain said distribution
companies installed 28,86,548 smart pre-payment meters across the country in
October 2019, of which BPDB installed 11,32,083 smart prepayment meters, BREB
8,10,590, DPDC 4,35,552, DESCO 2,93,838, WZPDCL 1,95,591 and NESCO 18,894
smart prepayment meters.
“Power distribution companies have undertaken various project to set up
smart prepayment meters across the country to reduce system loss, pilferage
and bill arrears,” he said.
The official data said government has decided to provide customers with an
opportunity to procure smart prepayment meters from open market, as its
demand is considerably being increased.
The decision will create liability for smart prepayment meters among
consumers, create competitive markets and avoid huge investment in the
sector, it said.
To this end, the government formulated a policy, which will help power
consumers to procure quality smart prepayment meters from the open market,
implementation of vending work, installation and smooth supply of necessary
services.