THERE is no alternative to installing prepaid meters in residential areas to stop people from availing illegal gas connections and stopping its misuse. Speakers at a webinar have asked for extensive exploration of natural gas to ensure a cost-effective energy supply to the industries. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are being used in industries but the volume is very low because of their high price as against very cost-effective natural gas. The government should encourage the use of LPG, LNG, solar energy, and install prepaid meters for natural gas connections to ensure diversity of energy sources.
An average price for 78 cubic meters of gas is being charged for every burner although 40 to 45 cubic meters of gas is used on an average in homes. Only 15.21 percent of the country’s total gas demand is met from domestic connections. Most of them pay Tk 975 but they do not use the same amount of gas. Bills of people using prepaid meters range between Tk 400 and Tk 500 per month but those without a meter pay Tk 975 each per month. Experts say gas distribution companies are reluctant to connect prepaid meters to retain their illegal earnings.
LPG is environment friendly and costly, and if the price comes down and becomes affordable to the lower-middle-income people, by the year 2025 about 3 million tonnes of LPG will be needed. The government has a plan to establish an LPG terminal in Matarbari with a capacity of 12 million tonnes, where ships of capacities up to of 40,000 tonnes would be able to dock. Once available adequately, LPG costs will fall by one-third. There are 4.3 million legal gas connections under the six gas distribution companies in the country. Of them, more than 42 lakh are residential connections but only 260,000 of those have been brought under pre-paid meters. Prepaid meter for gas connection is profitable for both consumers and distributors. We have to upgrade the existing lines with prepaid meters for billing.
