The number of electricity subscribers in the country is three crore 60 lakh. Of this, only 31 lakh are getting pre paid facility while another 3 crore 30 lakh are outside the pre paid metres. The government has plans to bring all subscribers under the pre paid system by 2025 though there is skepticism if that would be possible.
The pre-paid metres were introduced in 2011 to ensure the optimum use of power, prevent wastage and promote automated billing system. At the moment, the pre-pid metre is being modernized to connect to online smart pre-payment metres. The distribution companies gave connections to 30 lakh metres in five years.
The distribution companies are giving general and pre-paid metres and so, the pre-paid users are getting bills before power usage and the others after usage.
There is also dissatisfaction among subscribers. Of the 31 lakh plus pre-paid metres, the highest number was placed by Bangladesh Power Development Board which is 11 lakh 45 thousand.
A power division official says that the government wants to ensure power for all by 2020 and, therefore, has taken a variety of programmes.
In addition to power production, the government is emphasizing on safe, sustainable use of power.
An official adds: “to improve client service, steps have been taken to make the sector digital and tech based. As part of this initiatives have been taken to install pre-paid metres or smart metres.”
To install the pre-paid metres, improved software has been introduced, master information centre established along with a data centre.
Energy specialist Dr. Izaz Hossain, says: “to swiftly complete work, metres should also be established through private companies but the standard has to be maintained by the government.”
In this regard, an independent agency can also be formed. Until a certain period, the effort to give connections will go on, he added.