| We start with an assumption that everyone should, by | | | | As it turns out, the greatest motivation for this |
| now, be conversant with the workings of prepaid | | | | gravitation towards electricity systems is the cost |
| electricity. But just to ensure that nobody is left out, we | | | | advantages associated with such prepaid electricity. |
| could mention in passing that a prepaid electricity | | | | These are not things that can be taken lightly. There |
| system is one where electricity users pay for | | | | are cost advantages, significant ones, both on the user |
| electricity before actually getting to use it. They first | | | | and power distributor side. |
| pay for the electricity, and then make use of it - in | | | | On the user's side, we see the fact that the electricity |
| much the same way that people usually first pay for | | | | systems make possible full control over electricity |
| their sugar or salt before making use of it. This is, of | | | | expenditure being a great attraction. People always |
| course, in contrast to the traditional electricity billing | | | | felt that the traditional system for electricity billing |
| system, where people only get to pay for their | | | | tended to rob them of control over their electricity |
| electricity after having used it. | | | | expenditure, and it comes as a great relief for them to |
| The exact workings of electricity vary from one | | | | have a system through which they have complete |
| implementation to another. In most cases though, it | | | | control over such expenditure. On the user's side too, |
| works through a voucher system, where electricity | | | | the prepaid electricity system comes with a |
| users purchase a voucher bearing a number which | | | | considerable cost advantage. There is also the fact |
| they then proceed to feed into the prepaid electricity | | | | that prepaid electricity shields the users from the |
| meters, thereby procuring a number of electricity | | | | penalties that tend to arise out of late bill payments as |
| power units commensurate with the value of their | | | | another great attraction on the users' side. These |
| vouchers. It is this electricity that they are then | | | | penalties for late payment of bills are penalties that |
| supposed to make use of, and ensure that they | | | | virtually everybody on a postpaid electricity system is |
| purchase more units of before they run out of the | | | | bound to suffer from at one time or another, seeing |
| ones so loaded. The consequence of not purchasing | | | | the logistics involved in bill payments. And talking of the |
| more units (or 'recharging' as it is often referred to) | | | | actual payments, we see the electricity system being |
| would be a situation where the user eventually gets | | | | a system where payments are virtually free (it is just a |
| disconnected from the power grid. | | | | matter of buying ready-made vouchers). This is not |
| This electricity system has proved to be very popular, | | | | the case with postpaid electricity, where payments |
| with many people opting for it over the traditional | | | | always come at a cost: whether that is by way of |
| postpaid system on the first opportunity to do so. So | | | | fares to the electricity company's premises where one |
| strong has this trend been that many power distribution | | | | can make the payment, or the costs of sending |
| companies have been forced to eventually phase out | | | | checks (or doing electronic funds transfers) to the |
| the traditional postpaid power systems in favor of the | | | | companies. Granted, these tend to be small costs, but |
| prepaid electricity systems. The electricity companies, | | | | in the long run, they can accumulate to substantial |
| on their parts, have also done nothing to hide their | | | | amounts; which one gets to avoid altogether by opting |
| partiality to these prepaid electricity regimes. | | | | for prepaid electricity. |