Metering and Billing Systems

Standard kWh meter

Standard kWh meter. Its price is about 40-50 USD

Digital meter. Its price is about 120-150 USD

Advantages

• fair and transparent
• reading less frequent than collection; if customers go to office, there is cost reduction
• amount and time related tariffs possible (demand steering)

Disadvantages

• high costs (metering device & reading)
• dis- and re-connection in case of late payment
• complicated reading and billing

Pre-paid system with coins or cards

Pre-paid system with coins or cards. Its price is about 40-80 USD

Advantages

• fair and transparent
• no meter reading
• no overdue costs
• no costs for dis- and re-connection
• close to “ability to pay”-variations
• coins less expensive than cards

Disadvantages

• relatively high cost for metering device
• less forgery proof
• costs for re-collection of coins and selling system for coins/cards

Current limiter

Current limiter. The price may be less than 5 USD

Current limiter

Advantages

• simultaneously protecting against overcurrent (actual purpose)
• delimiting peak demand
• no meter reading required; flat rates according to max. amperage

Disadvantages

• danger of fraud and theft of switch fuses
• additional costs for replacement of cut out fuses
• time of usage not considered; less fair

Flat rate

Advantages

• very cheap (no metering or delimiting device)
• especially in rural areas of Indonesia quite common and accepted
• can be combined with number of appliances or installed wattage (social control)

Disadvantages

• provokes waste of electricity, no incentive for saving
• no load control / demand steering possible (peaks)
• less fair