Metering and Billing Systems

From energypedia
Revision as of 09:49, 5 August 2009 by ***** (***** | *****)

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


Experience form Nepal : Innovative Metering


⇒ Back to Solar Section
⇒ Back to Hydro Section