Prepayment Metering Report (Edition 2)

Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary

• Prepayment meter deployments
• Types, technology and operation
• Costs
• Companies
• Socio-political factors and consumer acceptance
• Disadvantages for the consumer
• Benefits for the supplier
• Disadvantages for the supplier

2. Prepayment meter sector

• Global deployment
• Market factors and drivers
• Benefits of Prepaid Meters
  • Improved operational efficiencies
  • Reduced financial risks
  • Better customer service
  • Customer control
• Market Drivers
  • Power sector reforms
  • Non-payment of bills
  • Avoidance of disconnection
  • Increasing non-technical losses
  • Opportunities in the emerging electrifying markets
• Market Restraints
  • Consumer behaviour
  • Initial investment
  • Rapid technology changes
  • Uncertainty over success
• History of technology development
  • 1st Generation - Magnetic card/token
  • Smart key
  • Smart card
  • 2nd generation - Key pad
  • 3rd generation split meters with remote two-way communication

3. United Kingdom

• Incidence of use of PPMs
• Electricity and gas PPMs
• PPM technologies in the UK
  • Magnetic card/token
  • Key
  • Smart card
  • Key pad
• Infrastructure and payment outlets
• UK market shares, prepayment meters
• Prepayment meter costs
• Cost of meters
• User costs
• Additional supplier costs
• Northern Ireland
• Republic of Ireland

4. South Africa

• Electricity prepayment metering
• Water prepayment metering
• Review of the development of the South African prepayment system
• New generation prepayment meters
• The prepayment technology, principles of operation
• Functioning of prepayment technology
• The development of CVS and STS
  • CVS, Common Vending System
  • STS, Standard Transfer Specification
  • STS Association
• Costs of electricity
• Costs of prepaid electricity
  • Tariff for low usage residential customers
  • Tariff for medium to high-usage residential customers
  • Tariff for small businesses in urban areas
  • Tariff for farmers and rural businesses
• Advantages and disadvantages of prepaid electricity to different stakeholders
  • Eskom
  • Advantages to consumers
  • Disadvantages to Eskom
  • Disadvantages to consumers
• Factors affecting the success of prepaid electricity and impediments to expansion of the system in South Africa
  • Better planning and management
  • Impediments to the expansion of prepaid electricity
• Brief assessment of the expansion of prepaid electricity
  • Lessons learned
  • Lesson 1: Benefits to large masses of small and dispersed consumers
  • Lesson 2: Benefits for consumers
  • Lesson 3: Benefits for Eskom
  • Lesson 4: Role of advertising and initial subsidy in popularising prepaid electricity
  • Lesson 5: Prepayment is not necessarily a well-received innovation in all segments of society
  • Lesson 6: Cost of prepaid electricity

5. China

• Turkey

6. Prepayment Metering in Selected Countries

• Americas
• USA
  • Prepayment and US regulation
  • Regulatory Changes
  • Argentina
  • Merlo
  • Brazil
  • Columbia
  • Curacao
  • Honduras
• Europe
  • Belgium
  • Czech Republic
  • France
  • Poland
• CIS
  • Azerbaijan
• Middle East
  • Abu Dhabi
  • Iran
• Mahgreb
  • Egypt
  • Morocco
• Africa
  • Botswana
  • Côte d' Ivoire
  • Gabon
  • Kenya
  • Lesotho
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Nigeria
  • Rwanda
  • Swaziland
  • Sudan
  • Tanzania
  • Zambia
• Asia Pacific
  • Bangladesh
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Malaysia
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Thailand
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Pohnpei

7. Prepayment meter manufacturers

• United Kingdom
  • Bayard/Ampy/Landis & Gyr
  • Landis & Gyr
  • Cashpower system
  • Quantum system
  • Libra system
  • Libra - PayPoint System
  • Ampy
  • Actaris
  • PRI Liberty meter
• South Africa
  • Conlog
  • Powerhouse solar prepayment meter
  • Ultima system
  • Bambamanzi Water Meters
  • Actaris
  • Atlantic Meters (Pty) Ltd
  • Syntell
  • Bateman
• China
• India
• Malaysia
  • Malaysian Intelligence Meters
  • Metronix
• Turkey
  • Elektromed Ltd
  • EAS Elektronik San Tic
• Development of the technology of prepayment meters
  • Coin meters
  • Early card or ticket meters
  • Later magnetic card meters
  • Smart token meters
  • Keypad meters
  • Split meters and two-way communication
  • Consumer requirements
  • The Internet
  • Complex tariffs
  • Consumer loyalty
  • Utility requirements
  • Super monitoring
  • Multi-utility prepayment
  • Multifunctional systems
• Glossary of Prepayment Metering Terms
• Acknowledgements

Tables

• Table 2.1: Global installed base of prepayment meters, 2007
• Table 3.1: Market shares of meter suppliers in the UK
• Table 3.2: UK shares of supply for prepayment meters by technology
• Table 3.3: PPM costs by technology

Figures

• Figure 2.1: Mechanical prepayment meter, 1920
• Figure 2.2: Landis & Gyr Taurus split prepayment meter
• Figure 2.3: Meter keypad and remote control unit
• Figure 4.1: Cumulative connections since 1994
• Figure 4.2: Eskom mainframe information system