Electricite du Laos (EDL), the largest electricity supplier in Laos , plans to introduce a new system requiring customers to pay for their electricity in advance.
EDL Acting Managing Director, Khammany Inthirath yesterday confirmed the state-owned enterprise was developing the new system in response to customers failing to pay their bills.
He said a large number of customers were late making payments, but he could not say how much money was owed to the company in unpaid accounts.
According to an electricity official, many customers pay bills once every few months, instead of immediately after the bills are issued. This negatively affects the company's cash flow.
Mr Khammany said the new system would enable EDL to collect money from consumers in advance, which would prevent customers accumulating large debts.
“We will do a test and then we will decide whether we will introduce the new system or not,” he said.
“The prepaid electricity system is widely used in our neighbouring countries of Thailand and Vietnam .”
EDL Deputy Managing Director Mr Savath Phoumalavanh the new system would also address customer dis putes about how much electricity was used each month.
Many people have filed complaints, saying staff collected incorrect data from their electricity meters and charged them for using more electricity than they really used.
He said the new electricity payment system would operate in a similar way to the prepaid mobile phone system, which requires customers to buy prepaid cards.
He said EDL was considering introducing the prepaid system in the four major provinces of Vientiane , Luang Prabang, Savannakhet and Champassak in September.
EDL would like to establish the new system with state organisations and major industrial units first. Initially the new system would be optional, but once it is fully operational consumers will not be able to access the electricity supply without a prepaid card. The prepaid cards will be sold in many places, like prepaid cards for mobile phones.
New electricity meters will also need to be installed if the new payment system is introduced.
By Ekaphone Phouthonesy. www.vientianetimes.org.la (Latest Update May 30 , 2008)
Showing posts with label Watt-hour meters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Watt-hour meters. Show all posts
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
EDL offers help with problem bills
Electricity users are welcome to check their bills at the office of the Electricite du Laos (EDL) if they have any queries, an official from the enterprise said on Monday.
EDL staff are there to help consumers solve problems if they feel anything on their monthly electricity bill is not clear, Mr Somphone said.
“We have full information on all electricity bill payments from 2003 to 2007,” he said.
Many people come to ask staff at EDL about the rates charged for the electricity they consume in a particular month, especially if the amount of power they consume seems to be the same as normal.
Mr Duangphachanh, a resident of Dongsavad village in Sisattanak district, Vientiane , is one such person.
He said he regularly paid about 140,000 kip per month from January to July this year, but last month received a bill for 900,000 kip.
“I was shocked when I received the bill,” he said.
He said he did not understand why his bill was so high, as he had not bought any extra electrical appliances for use in his house.
He called the electricity office to check his metre, and the staff who came said the device was working fine. They advised him to check with the EDL office.
When he did so, he was told he had not paid his bill for the past two months. He looked into the matter further and received a different answer.
“I was told that the bill for August should not be 900,000 kip, but 500,000 kip,” he said.
However, he had already paid the 900,000 kip as stated. “I'm still investigating the matter with EDL,” he said.
He said it was possible that charges could rise from 140,000 to 900,000 kip if electrical appliances or wiring was old and malfunctioning.
By Khonesavanh Latsaphao (Latest Update September 04, 2007)
http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/FreeContent/FreeContent_EDL.htm
EDL staff are there to help consumers solve problems if they feel anything on their monthly electricity bill is not clear, Mr Somphone said.
“We have full information on all electricity bill payments from 2003 to 2007,” he said.
Many people come to ask staff at EDL about the rates charged for the electricity they consume in a particular month, especially if the amount of power they consume seems to be the same as normal.
Mr Duangphachanh, a resident of Dongsavad village in Sisattanak district, Vientiane , is one such person.
He said he regularly paid about 140,000 kip per month from January to July this year, but last month received a bill for 900,000 kip.
“I was shocked when I received the bill,” he said.
He said he did not understand why his bill was so high, as he had not bought any extra electrical appliances for use in his house.
He called the electricity office to check his metre, and the staff who came said the device was working fine. They advised him to check with the EDL office.
When he did so, he was told he had not paid his bill for the past two months. He looked into the matter further and received a different answer.
“I was told that the bill for August should not be 900,000 kip, but 500,000 kip,” he said.
However, he had already paid the 900,000 kip as stated. “I'm still investigating the matter with EDL,” he said.
He said it was possible that charges could rise from 140,000 to 900,000 kip if electrical appliances or wiring was old and malfunctioning.
By Khonesavanh Latsaphao (Latest Update September 04, 2007)
http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/FreeContent/FreeContent_EDL.htm
Monday, February 19, 2007
Watt-hour meters in Laos
Electricity is transmissted from dams to substations through 115 kilovolt lines. The highest hi-voltage transmission line in Laos is 500 kilovolt (under construction). In the subtations electricity is transformed to 22 kilovolt. The transformers in the streets lower the voltage to 400 volts, three phase four wire system and 230 volt 1 phase 2 wire system.
In every houses we still can see analogue watt-hour meters. Long time ago watt-hour meters were installed to the houses' walls behind the fences. Recently they were moved to the electric poles outside the fences in order to easy access for meter reading. Meter reading is performed manually by personnel from Electrical utility( EdL).
Recently the chinese company is trying to sell prepayment electronic watt-hour meters to EdL.
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