2.6 lakh Dhaka, Chittagong consumers to get prepaid gas metres next year

Some 260,000 residential consumers in Dhaka and Chittagong cities are going to get prepaid gas metres from next year under a Japan-funded project, reports UNB.

According to sources at Titas Gas Company, which is responsible for the installation of 200,000 gas metres in Dhaka North City Corporation area, a Japanese contractor is now making pre-shipment inspections of the imported prepaid metres which will reach the country this month.

Manager of Titas Gas pre-paid metre installation project Sazzad Hossain informed that Titas Gas has been conducting a consumer survey in the selected areas before starting the pre-paid metre installation work.

"Once the metres reach the country, both the survey and installation works will simultaneously go on and the job will be concluded within the next two years," he told the news agency.

The government took the prepaid metre project a few years back as part of the move to check the pilferage in gas supply.

Earlier, under a pilot project, Titas installed 8,600 prepaid meters in Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur and Lalmatia areas which were proved successful.

Now 200,000 prepaid metres will be installed by Titas in Banani, Baridhara, Bashundhara, Badda, Khilkhet, Uttara, and Mirpur areas in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) spending Tk 722 crore, while Karnaphuli Gas will set up prepaid meters for 60,000 consumers in Chittagong city areas at Tk 248.40 crore.

The total cost of implementing the two projects is Tk 970.50 crore. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will finance Tk 607.18 crore of the total amount, while the rest of it will come from the government.

Officials at Titas said they will set up 50 point of sales (POS) centres in Dhaka city to facilitate its consumers to recharge their prepaid cards while a data centre will be set up in Titas Bhaban in Kawran Bazar area.

They said consumers can recharge their prepaid cards like prepaid electricity cards from the POS as per their requirement.

Consumers of Dhammondi and Mohammadpur areas feel happy with their experience after using prepaid gas metres as they have to now pay less than their fixed bill.

"We pay maximum Tk 300 average a month for gas consumption through a two-burner oven. If we recharge Tk 1,000 in prepaid card, it works for 3-4 months," Abdul Mannan, a Titas consumer in Dhanmondi area, told the news agency.

Officials said they found in a study that a residential consumer consumes 70 cubic meres of gas on average per month which cost about Tk 300. But, Titas now bills Tk 950 a month for a double-burner oven.

 

2.6 lakh Dhaka, Chittagong consumers to get prepaid gas metres next year

Some 260,000 residential consumers in Dhaka and Chittagong cities are going to get prepaid gas metres from next year under a Japan-funded project, reports UNB. According to sources at Titas Gas Company, which is responsible for the installation of 200,000 gas metres in Dhaka North City Corporation area, a Japanese contractor is now making pre-shipment inspections of the imported prepaid metres which will reach the country this month. Manager of Titas Gas pre-paid metre installation project Sazzad Hossain informed that Titas Gas has been conducting a consumer survey in the selected areas before starting the pre-paid metre installation work. Once the metres reach the country, both the survey and installation works will simultaneously go on and the job will be concluded within the next two years, he told the news agency. The government took the prepaid metre project a few years back as part of the move to check the pilferage in gas supply. Earlier, under a pilot project, Titas installed 8,600 prepaid meters in Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur and Lalmatia areas which were proved successful. Now 200,000 prepaid metres will be installed by Titas in Banani, Baridhara, Bashundhara, Badda, Khilkhet, Uttara, and Mirpur areas in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) spending Tk 722 crore, while Karnaphuli Gas will set up prepaid meters for 60,000 consumers in Chittagong city areas at Tk 248.40 crore. The total cost of implementing the two projects is Tk 970.50 crore. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will finance Tk 607.18 crore of the total amount, while the rest of it will come from the government. Officials at Titas said they will set up 50 point of sales (POS) centres in Dhaka city to facilitate its consumers to recharge their prepaid cards while a data centre will be set up in Titas Bhaban in Kawran Bazar area. They said consumers can recharge their prepaid cards like prepaid electricity cards from the POS as per their requirement. Consumers of Dhammondi and Mohammadpur areas feel happy with their experience after using prepaid gas metres as they have to now pay less than their fixed bill. We pay maximum Tk 300 average a month for gas consumption through a two-burner oven. If we recharge Tk 1,000 in prepaid card, it works for 3-4 months, Abdul Mannan, a Titas consumer in Dhanmondi area, told the news agency. Officials said they found in a study that a residential consumer consumes 70 cubic meres of gas on average per month which cost about Tk 300. But, Titas now bills Tk 950 a month for a double-burner oven.