Hinterland communities to benefit from smart meters

GINA, GUYANA, Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Hinterland residents are set to benefit from the smart meter project as part of efforts to encourage conservation and reduce losses.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Hinterland Electrification Company Incorporated (HECI), Horace Williams in an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), explained that the smart meters will be tested via the Lethem Power Company.

Lot A of component three of the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated’s (GPL), Power Utility Upgrade Programme, (PUUP) is set to begin shortly. The project caters for the installation of over 25,000 smart meters.

Williams explained that, “the meters …they will be sending information back to the power station control centre so that the power station would have an idea of what is being consumed by a particular consumer at any time.”

Williams noted that implementing the project in the hinterland will provide similar convenience for hinterland communities like those on the coastland. “Rather than using the postpaid systems where you go and actually read meters and submit bills to consumers, the consumers will be buying credit in advance for the meters, similar to what GPL is doing on the coastal areas.”

The HECI CEO pointed out to GINA that the project, following its pilot in Lethem will then move on to other hinterland communities. Williams said if there are technical glitches during the process, “we’ll have the opportunity to learn from this project before introducing the smart meters’ implementation in other hinterland communities.”

Lot A of Component three of the PUUP is a US $64M Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and European Union-funded programme. It is aimed at improving the supply and quality of electricity across Guyana.

This component of the programme is aimed at addressing technical and nontechnical loss reduction measures, including network investments, replacement of conductors, relocation and incorporation of transformers, upgrading customer interface namely service line, meters, enclosures and related accessories, and  implementation of social management campaigns among others.

 

By: Ranetta La Fleur