Is prepaid electricity the wave of the future?

As summer rolls around and the ever present heat hangs over us like an angry cloud, I look longingly at the air conditioning unit installed in my bedroom. The thought of being cool is countered against the increase in my electricity bill if I turn on the air conditioning unit for the entire night.

Of course there are options, I could buy more fans which would not impact on the bill as much but they don’t provide enough cooling as the air conditioning unit.  There are also inverter air conditioning units  which consume less electricity but using them would still adversely affect the bill.

High Electricity Costs

The average consumer laments their electricity bill more than any other utility bill. It’s often the first paid bill as persons fear disconnection which would severely limit their lifestyle.

Electricity bills for private residents can run as high as $9,000 or more each month depending on the consumer’s consumption rates. Disconnections seem almost automatic and consumers often scramble to pay before they are hit with reconnection fees.

Prepaid Electricity

A prepaid electricity system was introduced in the island by The Jamaica Public Service (J.P.S) in 2014. The prepaid system involves using meters to allow customers to match their consumption needs to their pocket.

The prepaid meter affords them the opportunity to purchase power from the utility company based on their budget.

Consumers can purchase their prepaid electricity voucher at J.P.S outlets, at a Bill Express or online.

The 20-digit voucher number is entered into the prepaid meter which then allows consumers instant access to the number of kilowatt hours purchased and allows them to monitor their usage.

Benefits

One of the main benefits of using the prepaid meters is that everyone can monitor their consumption of electricity. Since you only pay for what you use it can also save you money.

Consumers can then budget in advance so there are no surprise bills at the end of the month.

Landlords and Property Managers would also benefit as they would be able to ensure that tenants are paying for electricity before consuming it so they will not be lumped with large unpaid bills at the end of a lease.

Additionally, if rent is unpaid the owner can use the sale of recharge vouchers as a bargaining tool and thus create an huge incentive for the tenant to pay on time.

This can happen at an inconvenient time!

Proper planning should offset this challenge as consumers should plan ahead especially for days when businesses might be closed such as public holidays.

So would you buy prepaid electricity? Let me hear from you!

Teri Ann Renee Paisley
Gleaner online writer

Tags: prepaid electricity