Metering and Billing Systems

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Revision as of 11:48, 2 June 2010 by ***** (***** | *****)

Standard kWh meter

Advantages

Digital meter. Its price is about 120-150 USD
Standard kWh meter. Its price is about 40-50 USD
  • technique is "state of the art"
  • billing is fair and transparent 
  • reading can be uncoupled from tariff collection
  • allows amount and time related tariffs  (demand steering) 

Disadvantages

  • high costs (metering device)
  • especially at rural areas in dev. countries the investment cost for a meter unit are way out of range
  • dis- and re-connection in case of late payment



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 / Fuses

Current limiter / fuse; price may be < 5 USD fault current breaker
100px-Electrical Fuse (aka).jpg 180px-DIAZED fuses.jpg

Advantages

  • simultaneously protecting against overcurrent (actual purpose
  • cheap if simple versions
  • no meter reading required => indirect power flat rate according to max. amperage

Disadvantages

  • accuracy of cicuit breakers as load limiter fluctuates (even items from one batch have different trigger levels)
    => neigbours with same connections may be able to use different wattage
  • fault current breaker are rarely available in  < 1 Ampere range (1 A / 220 V => 220 Watt)
  • time of usage not considered; less fair
  • melting fuses are available and cheap but very easy to bridge (also temporarily) => encouage missuse



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


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