Aboitiz Power may test prepaid metering in Subic

MANILA, Philippines - Aboitiz Power Corp. (APC) may test its prepaid metering in Subic, a move allowing its customers to control electricity consumption and cut down system losses. APC, the Aboitiz group’s holding company for power generation and distribution, has chosen Subic because of its small customer base, a company executive said. Although the company “is still looking at different options in other countries," it said that it will study prepaid metering and consider a pilot testing soon, Juan Antonio E. Bernad, APC executive vice president for regulatory affairs told reporters. Bernad added that a US company offered a system that doesn’t require a change in meters. However, it needed an automated meter reading system that can be accessed from a central source, an arrangement that has yet to be put up by APC, he added. Besides considering whether prepaid metering should be voluntary or mandatory, the government through the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) should also decide the length of the system’s coverage, he said. “Is it for three month, six months or unlimited because the cost of power changes every month," Bernad asked. The regulator should also determine who should consider – and shoulder – the cost of the system, he added. Last year, the ERC released draft rules covering prepaid electricity, a system that is seen to cut down on system losses and eventually result in lower rates. Under the proposed rules, prepaid meters should be able to store at least two months’ worth of electricity. The same rules indicate that distribution utilities will shoulder the cost of prepaid meters for which no deposits will be collected. Shares of APC fell 10 centavos to P5.30 during Tuesday’s trading at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). - GMANews.TV