The government has placed the yoke of buying prepaid meters on the consumers’ shoulders by issuing a gazette from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources on December 11, which said that the household gas consumers have to buy their own meters from the market.
As per the new policy of prepaid gas meter installation and purchase, the consumers have to request the utility agencies to install the meters. Although, prepaid meter is an imported item, the gazette does not discuss the issue of the country of origin of the prepaid meters to be installed.
“It is a completely wrong policy. The utility companies should import it and take the money from the consumers like prepaid electricity meter,” Energy Expert Dr M Tamim told the Daily Observer on Monday.
He said there are five reasons for scrapping the wrong policy. (a) Who to justify the standard of the meter? As it costs Tk 15,000 so government should check and stop public harassment. (b) It will create business row as money is involve here, (c) How will a lay man ensure the quality of his gas meter in this era of free market economy? (d) The risk of accident would increase during installation time as it is needed to replace the previous one and (e) What is preventing the government agency from installing the prepaid meter?
The government introduced prepaid meter system at household level 14 years back but it was able to install only 3 lakh prepaid meters by the time. Meanwhile, the number of household gas consumers has increased to 43 lakh.
Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company has installed prepaid meters in Dhaka city charging Tk 60 as monthly rent. However, a household consumer having a prepaid meter will have to pay the cost of the meter for up to 20 years.
Initially, few people showed interest in prepaid meters. But over the course of time, their interest grew, as the consumption of gas is very low.
According to the Petrobangla a regular household consumer of gas is using only 40 cubic meter of gas per month but he has to pay the bill for using 88 cubic meter of gas.
“The consumers’ have to pay Tk 975 for using two burners at their households but those under the coverage of prepaid metering system are paying only Tk 450 per month,” a Petrobangla official said.