As a smart prepaid metering operator, our solution manages Solar Energy, electricity, heat, and gas
over a dedicated Secure IoT Network ensuring both system and customer big Data integrity. A multi-
energy concentrator collects data from smart meters of energy, water, gas and heat, and then
uploads data to the Zero Carbon Grid. This solution is ideal for both small scale distributed and
large-sized enterprises and industrial parks which require management of water, electricity, gas and
heat through one system solution.
Advantages Smart Prepaid Metering
Smart Prepayment for Solar, electricity, gas, and water is a way of life in many countries—and for good
reason. It:
- Helps customers budget their utility money and ensures there are no unpleasant surprises when bills
arrive. - Helps utilities avoid bad debt without the need to collect and track deposits.
- Provides favorable utility cash flow. Typically, utilities receive revenue from credit customers a month
or more after consumption. Prepayment revenue arrives in advance of consumption, permitting utilities
to invest and realize a return on that revenue. - Lowers utility risk when connecting customers without deposits or when reconnecting those who
have been disconnected for nonpayment. - Reduces paperwork and the associated costs of postage, paper, printing, and handling. With
prepayment, there is no monthly bill.
General Introduction
Smart Prepaid Meters consists of four parts, which are prepaid meters, IC card, IC card reader-writer and software.
Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) solutions let you automatically collect consumption, diagnostic and status data from your water, electric and gas devices and then transfer that data to a central database for billing and analysis. AMR system consists of remote wireless meter, concentrator and management center.
Zero Carbon Grid-Smart Management Platform which has friendly interface and is easy to learn and operate. It can support all smart prepaid meters. It has many functions, such as create file, open account, deal with daily business, sale inquiry, multi inquiry, report summary, read/write card, input/collect data, print bill and check blacklist, etc.
Prepaid IC Card Meters:
IC Card Reader-Writer:
With the support the software and computer, IC Card Reader-Writer can realize as below functions:
- Compatible with desktop computer and laptop.
- USB interface or RS232 interface.
- Suitable for all IC cards and prepaid meters
- Load the credit of water/electric/gas/heat into IC card.
- Read the card, write the card, top up the card, clear the card, reissue the card etc.
How to Use Smart Prepaid Meters
- Customer goes to vending points to pay for the fee of electric /water/gas/heat in advance OR make mobile money top up via MPESA, then staff will open account for customer through software and IC card reader-writer and then give him an IC card with purchased amount and relevant user information.
- Customer swipes the IC card on the induction area of meter and then the credit will be automatically loaded into meter. Then smart prepaid meter will switch on valve to supply electric/water/gas/heat.
- Meter can preset the alarm value. It will alarm and close valve when the balance reach this value. Customer shall swipes the IC card again to re-open valve. But when the remind are totally used up, customer must go to vending point to charge his IC card.
Summary of Benefits
For customers, Smart Grid prepayment means:
- No deposits.
- No monthly bills.
- Smaller payment amounts over time. Experience shows that customers frequently make weekly payments of $10 or $20.
- Easy consumption monitoring.
- Greater awareness and control of costs.
- No late payment or reconnection charges.
- Voluntary participation.
- No extra cost (because there’s little or no special equipment).
- Dignity. Anecdotes indicate that this is one of the most important benefits of prepayment. Families struggling with bills can keep their relationship with utility companies entirely private. There are no utility crews pounding on doors and yelling about meter shut-offs in full sound and view of the neighbors. Disconnection is entirely under the customer’s control.
For the utility, Smart Grid prepayment means:
- Improved cash flow.
- Reduced credit & collections costs. There are no confrontations on the phone, no turning over accounts to collection agencies. And prepayment easily accommodates gradual payments of past-due bills without manual monitoring.
- Lowered write-off expense.
- Promotion of energy conservation.
- Reduced high-bill complaints.
- Increased customer satisfaction.
- No costs for extra equipment or infrastructure.
- Use of existing payment methods.
- No paper bills.
- Reduced disconnects/reconnects by field crews, with associated improvements in employee safety and productivity.