19.5 lakh people to avail prepaid electricity meters
With an aim to reducing system loss, pilferage and bill arrears, Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has undertaken an initiative to bring 19,58,325 consumers under smart prepaid metering for electricity in phases.
“We will bring all consumers under smart prepaid meter system,” State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told the news agency yesterday.
He said the BPDB has already installed 11,66,005 smart prepaid meters out of the total 31,24,330 consumers across the country by December 2019, adding, “We are also working to supply uninterrupted electricity to all.”
“The government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working relentlessly to bring all citizens under power coverage and our generation capacity has reached to 22,787 MW,” Nasrul added.
The Power Division has taken the initiative through all distribution utilities to implement a prepayment meter system, with a view to reducing non-technical losses, increasing revenue collection and improving customer services.
Talking to the agency, Director (Public Relations) of BPDB Saiful Hasan Chowdhury said BPDB has four distribution zones across the country.
“We will bring all consumers including residential, industrial, commercial and offices under smart prepaid meter system in phases,” he added. He said BPDB signed an agreement with Shenzhen Star Instrument on May 26 last year, for procurement and installation of 1,50,575 prepaid meters in Cumilla and Mymensingh zones. “KfW Germany has financed the project. On the basis of turnkey, the contractor has started the project work,” he said.
According to BPDB, 54,000 smart prepaid meters have already collected for its four zones, financed by BPDB themselves.
Besides, it signed a contract on November 28 with a supplier firm for procuring 55,000 smart prepaid meters for its four zones.
The state-run company has floated tenders to procure and install 1,05,000 smart prepaid meters.
Under Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI) with upgradation of unified prepaid system, BPDB will implement the project with its own finance.
A plan will be taken to procure and install another 6,00,000 smart prepaid meters under the BPDB’s four distribution zones, sources said.
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