Sharjah: Sharjah residents will be able to decide their utility bill amount by using a prepaid system to set consumption, a top official has said.
Dr Rashid Al Leem, chairman, Sharjah Water and Electricity Authority (Sewa), told Gulf News smart meters would allow Sewa to limit consumption — and hence the bill — to a predetermined level as requested by the consumer every month.
Around 1,500 smart meters have been used in a pilot project in Muwaileh area, Hamriyah Free Zone and Sharjah Airport Free Zone. Also, around 5,000 smart meters are being installed in large industrial and commercial projects. Sewa is gradually replacing conventional meters in existing buildings with smart meters.
“One of the smart meters we used is the smart water meter, which is almost prepaid. You can say, ‘I want Sewa to charge me Dh500 — this is my budget for water this month’. We have a small device now that we program for you. For Dh500 you get a certain amount of ‘water balance’,” he added.
“So now you decide your bill. We used it for water and it worked very well. Just like the prepaid cards for your phones, you can monitor your own utility billing system.”
Consumers will be able to read real-time as well as historical consumption data off the smart meter, allowing them to set targets and conserve resources.
In the pilot project, Dr Al Leem said, “a lot of people came back to us after 20 days, saying ‘we’ve already used up all the water balance’. They know now they were really overusing water”.
Consumers who reach the limit, set by themselves, before the end of the month will be able to “recharge” for service continuity. The process will help them learn how much they typically consume and adjust monthly their utility budget accordingly, or vice versa, said Dr Al Leem.
Besides saving resources and money, smart meters also clear up questions regarding bills, he added.
“Consumers can see with their own eyes how much they are consuming and that will prevent them from saying they were overcharged or undercharged.
“They see ‘this much is my energy use at the moment in the house or in the flat. I’ve got to do something about it. If it remains as is, it means I’ve to pay a heavy bill at the end of the month’. So they can go and switch off the things that are not needed.”
Dr Al Leem said some people “keep quiet” when they are being undercharged — likely because of a meter malfunction — while others report the issue because they “don’t want to be surprised later”, when officials resolve the issue and the bills return to normal levels.
Customer-driven
Dr Al Leem said Sewa processes and services revolve around the consumer. In June, Sewa was certified with the ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard (besides ISO 9001 Quality Management Standard, ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard, and OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety)
“We are the first in the Arab world to obtain the ISO 50001 … When you have those certifications it means that you are running with standards. You have policy in the system. It is customer-driven.
“Through the certification, the certification body ensures that you’re sustaining your services round the clock, with a smile, and at the same time meeting and exceeding the customer expectations,” he added.
“It’s all process-driven. So, if I want to apply for electricity, I as a consumer know it will take me this much time and where to go. Without the ISO you don’t know, you’re in a maze. It’s about the processes run with efficiency, so the end user, the customer, is not lost.”
In terms of energy efficiency, Dr Al Leem said: “One of our dreams for the near future is the Hamriyah power plant. We have a strategy called continuous optimisation of our assets. We’re moving Hamriyah from a simple cycle to combined cycle. By doing so, with the same amount of energy, we can get about 200 megawatts extra produced.”
Direct communication
Sewa has also made it easier to report issues or make suggestions with a new online service called Communicate with the Chairman, prominently displayed on its home page, www.sewa.gov.ae
“This is to ensure your message is received loud and clear. It comes to my desk personally and I would like to thank everyone for their submissions. It’s less than a month now and we received over 100 inputs, whether they are innovative ideas or complaints,” Dr Al Leem said.
“So, if you have an issue, if you’ve been overcharged; or whether it is regarding innovative ideas or whatsoever, the chairman himself will be listening to you.
“I want it to come to me directly. This is to ensure and demonstrate how transparent and efficient we are. I get three or four submissions a day, or even sometimes up to 10. I’m happy to see that.”
The usual ideas are about renewable energy. Sewa is planning to introduce solar power at bus shelters, for example. Meanwhile, complaints typically are about perceived overcharging in bills, he added.
