Meralco to start testing prepaid electricity scheme
MANILA, Philippines—Manila Electric Co., the country’s biggest power distributor, is set to roll out before the end of the year pilot projects that will determine the commercial viability of the prepaid retail electricity scheme and electric vehicle charging stations.
Alfredo S. Panlilio, senior vice president and head of customer retail services of Meralco, said the distribution utility would start in December the technical pilot project for prepaid electricity in about 40 households in Angono, Rizal.
Meralco, according to Panlilio, signed last month an agreement for the advanced metering infrastructure integrated solution (AMIIS) project with GE, which would serve as the system integrator. The GE solution will allow Meralco to implement the prepaid electricity scheme, which is primarily aimed at helping power consumers effectively manage their energy use and expenses.
The technical pilot testing will pave the way for a wider-scale commercial pilot that will involve some 40,000 households by the middle of next year, Panlilio said.
Panlilio said Meralco was expecting to be able to determine the viability of the prepaid electricity scheme by the second half of the year with the commercial pilot test.
The pilot activities are meant to test the viability of the existing prepaid platform, the prepaid meters and the various vending solutions that may be deployed. Pilot testing will also determine if the prepaid retail electricity scheme would provide lasting benefits to Meralco customers.
The prepaid retail electricity service will allow consumers to control their electricity use and expenses, as this will enable them to monitor their electricity consumption in real time. Their meter systems could warn them if and when their load is nearing zero to avoid automatic disconnection.
In the meantime, Panlilio said Meralco was also ready to start the pilot implementation of a charging system for electric vehicles in Mandaluyong before the end of the year, after completing studies that were started in September. Two more electric vehicle charging stations are scheduled to be put up in Botocan and Kamuning next year.
These three charging stations are meant to help Meralco determine the viability of the business design and models to be used and its pricing scheme. A partnership with the Department of Science and Technology was likewise formed for the development of standards for the charging stations.
Earlier this year, Meralco disclosed that aside from providing charging stations, it was likewise looking at the possibility of manufacturing electric vehicles.
