Overview of BPDB Prepaid Meter Procurement
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) is pushing large-scale deployment of prepaid electricity meters to improve bill collection rates and reduce system losses. Moving from conventional postpaid meters to prepaid systems helps curb electricity theft and materially strengthen revenue collection, making it a core initiative for restoring financial health in Bangladesh's power sector. Demand is also rising rapidly for next-generation prepaid meters equipped with smart metering capabilities.
Why Smart Meters Are Being Introduced and What They Deliver
Bangladesh's power system loss rate is estimated at around 12%, which remains high relative to many developing markets. To reduce both technical losses in transmission and distribution and non-technical losses such as theft and non-payment, smart prepaid meters have been adopted as a strategic solution. Smart meters built on AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) enable remote meter reading, load management, and real-time monitoring, significantly improving utility operating efficiency.
| Procuring Entity | Project | Volume | Type | Estimated Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPDB | Nationwide single-phase prepaid meters | 5 million units | Single-phase STS prepaid | Approx. $15 million |
| BPDB | Industrial three-phase smart meters | 200,000 units | Three-phase AMI | Approx. $12 million |
| DESCO | Dhaka smart meter replacement | 800,000 units | Single-phase AMI + STS | Approx. $8 million |
| BREB | Rural prepaid meters | 3 million units | Single-phase STS prepaid | Approx. $6 million |
| DPDC | South Dhaka smart meters | 500,000 units | Single-phase/three-phase AMI | Approx. $4 million |