Uganda
Project Scale:
Deploy prepaid metering units and supporting systems for 500+ C&I customers (with voltage levels up to 33kV).
Project Products:
Prepaid metering units (supporting LV 100A-1000A and MV 11kV/33kV metering cubicles)
Integrated metering cubicles (integrating metering unit and disconnector control functions)
Vending system (supporting customized tariff modes)
MDC (Meter Data Collection) system
GPRS communication modules
Project Details:
This project represents a prepaid metering modernization initiative implemented by the Uganda Power Utility specifically targeting the C&I customer segment. By deploying smart prepaid metering units (spanning Low Voltage to 33kV Medium Voltage levels) for 500+ C&I customers, combined with integrated metering cubicles, customized vending systems, and MDC systems, the utility has achieved real-time monitoring, remote load control, and automated management of C&I electricity consumption. The project leverages GPRS communication to support automatic remote disconnection when the prepaid balance is depleted, effectively mitigating revenue collection risks.
Customer Pain Points:
Difficult Revenue Collection: Due to the high consumption volume and long billing cycles of C&I customers, the traditional post-paid model incurs a high risk of payment delinquency, which compromises cash flow stability.
High Line Loss Management Pressure: Traditional metering approaches struggle to pinpoint non-technical losses, keeping the line loss rate persistently high.
Lack of Control Over Consumption Behaviors: Real-time monitoring of C&I load profiles is unavailable, making it difficult to implement load control and demand-side management (DSM).
High Manual Management Costs: Relying on manual meter reading, collection notices, and on-site disconnection operations results in low efficiency and elevated safety risks.
Project Value:
Directly Improving Revenue Efficiency: Following project implementation, the utility achieved year-on-year growth in electricity revenue the following year; the prepaid model fundamentally eliminated payment delinquency and optimized cash flow stability.
Effectively Reducing Line Losses: Through precise metering and remote control capability, non-technical losses have been effectively curbed, bringing the line loss rate down to an optimal level. Shifting Customer Consumption Behaviors: The prepaid mechanism encourages customers to proactively manage their load profiles, enhancing energy-use predictability and energy efficiency awareness.
Achieving Intelligent Operations: Remote monitoring and automated disconnection/reconnection functionalities drastically reduce manual interventions, elevating operational safety and management efficiency.
High Replication Potential: The project successfully validates the applicability of the prepaid model within the C&I customer segment, providing a comprehensive solution and practical deployment experience for replication in similar markets.
