2M pre-paid meters to be installed in 2020: Electricity Ministry

CAIRO – 31 January 2020: The Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy targets to install 2 million prepaid electric meters during 2020, as part of its plan to substitute all traditional meters with prepaid ones within 5 years, spokesperson Ayman Hamza said.

Hamza added that there are 8,800,000 prepaid electric meters at the ministry, and that the plan aims to increase the number of installed meters per annum by more than 2 million.

He explained that citizens, or subscribers who want to change their traditional meters, can apply for the pre-paid meters.

The spokesperson highlighted that demand for those meters is rising because the ministry introduced easier ways to charge the prepaid cards. The most recent of which is a mobile app. Previously, cards could be recharged at electricity distribution companies existing all over the country or through Fawry services for bill payments.

Prepaid meters were first introduced in 2014. They were installed for 3.75 million consumers by North Cairo Electricity Distribution Company by 2017.

Prepaid meters also serve in detecting informal businesses as they cut electricity when consumption exceeds the adequate capacity of 80-Ampere-devices installed in households. Electricity is permanently cut if this occurs for three times in a row until the company fixes the problem.

Those meters also cut electricity when attempts to forcefully open the device take place.