More prepaid electric meter makers apply with ERC

By Donnabelle L. Gatdula (The Philippine Star) Updated October 13, 2011 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - More prepaid electric meter manufacturers are applying with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to sell their products in the country.


ERC executive director Francis Saturnino Juan said they are now reviewing applications from 10 more prepaid meter distributors, most of whom are from the United States, South Africa and China.


According to Juan, the ERC needs to approve the meters that would be sold and used in the Philippines to ensure that they conform with international standards on prepaid metering.


“We are issuing certificates of approval on these prepaid meters to make sure that they are compliant with international standards,” he said.


The ERC said all electricity end-users are sought to be guided properly to the approved type of meter that can be installed in their premises. Prospectively, every meter-type product must be covered by an individual application and approval from the ERC.


As this developed, a joint technical committee between government and the industry may be constituted to thresh out possible wrinkles in the implementation of prepaid retail electric service (PRES) authorized by the ERC in 2009.


Visiting executives of Julong Electric Power Co. of Shanghai led by its chairman, Liu QiTao, and Xesi Energy Systems Inc., president and chief executive officer Ariel Dela Cruz met yesterday with ERC commissioner Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc to discuss prepaid electricity supply in the country.


Xesi and Julong, together with Symstream of Australia, Wireless Services Asia and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., have developed a mobile or text-based system for prepaid supply of electricity down to the residential customer level.


Yap-Taruc, who has oversight of consumer concerns and interest, cited the working committee as the ideal venue for balancing consumer and utility interest when the new retail and electricity supply systems are put in place.


“The consumers have to be fully apprised and informed of how the prepaid system will work to their benefit, without sacrificing the quality and reliability of the service provided by the utility,” she said.


Dela Cruz noted that in the pilot run in at least 10 electric cooperatives of their system, the Xesi Prepaid Kuryentext, the results were positive and the acceptance rate remarkably high.


Among the features of Kuryentext are: convenience, as the meter can be reloaded from any location via mobile text or SMS; pervasive as distribution network is the same as the telco’s or mobile phones; secure with adequate safeguards in user IDs and passwords; reliable with safeguard mechanisms even in times of disaster or emergencies; efficient as the consumer can manage his use of electricity.