In a prepaid environment, consumers pay before use by purchasing electricity units that are either manually loaded into the electrical meter or use smart meters that are recharged from anywhere using online portals. This is counter to a monthly billing system where electricity is paid for after consumption through invoices distributed by the supplier. These payments are often delayed and can be challenging to enforce, making prepaid electricity meters a more lucrative offering for utility companies. Prepaid electricity adoption is expected to continue increasing as it provides a convenient way to help consumers monitor and control their consumption, as well as suppliers manage payments.
