The company needs to obtain approval from the Energy Regulatory Commission before the meters can be rolled out, however.
80,000 VECO customers consume only 50 kWh of power a month, and the company says these customers will good candidates to receive the prepayment meters. Customers whose accounts are often in arrears, and whose power is therefore frequently disconnected, will also be targeted. Those customers who choose to have a pay-as-you-go meter installed will have to pay a once-off installation fee. The new meters will have a keypad for customers to use to key in the electricity credit they have purchased.
VECO hopes that customer response will be positive, noting that most people are accustomed to the pre-pay principle as this is the way they recharge their cell phoned.
