PREPAID METER TARIFFING FOR ACTUAL POWER CONSUMPTION IN AN AVERAGE HOUSE HOLD: A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIA DISCOs

Prepaid meters have many applications in generation, transmission and distribution of electric power in Nigeria, this makes their actual power measurement to be an important issue. In this work, actual power consumption of each load was determined and was used to study the time each load will use to consume 30.8 EEDC units when it is constantly connected to power supply. The analytical method was used to investigate the collected date for different appliance consumption rate with respect to time. This experiment was conducted in Achara Layout of Enugu South Local Government Area, Enugu state. Each of the load was subjected to test to determine the current and voltages across them. The actual power consumption of each load was calculated. The time for each actual power to completely consume 30.8 units was calculated. The corresponding amount in naira per day of the actual consumption of each load was calculated. The results show that, phone and lighting points will take longer time (18421.05 and 5589.8 hours) to drain the 30.8 units; while electrical pressing iron will take 8.95hours to drain the 30.8 units. It is also seen that lighting points and phones have the least and highest consumption cost per day. By optimal combination of these loads, it will make economic sense for the subscribers of prepaid meter, and hence reduce the phobia faced by the subscribers (if not total elimination). Keywords : Actual Power, Economic Sense, Prepaid meter, Nigeria DISCOs, Tariff.