felix a. julien commercial engineer dominica electricity ... · pdf file28–30 september,...

28–30 September, 2010, Sao Paulo, BRAZIL

Felix A. JulienCommercial Engineer

Dominica Electricity Service Ltd.

Dominica

28–30 September, 2010Frei Caneca Convention Centre,Sao Paulo, BRAZIL


Prepaid and AMI – DOMLEC and Customer Benefits

PrepaidAMI

Presenter:Felix A. Julien, Commercial Engineer


About Dominica – “Nature Island of the Caribbean”

• About Dominica – Location – between two French islands of Guadeloupe and

Martinique– Size – 291sq miles– Population Approx. – 70,000– Languages: English, Kwéyol

• About DOMLEC– Investor owned– Number of customers – 34,361– Number of employees - 181– Generation Type – Hydro 33% and Diesel 67%– Generation Locations

• HYDRO – PADU, NEW TRAFALGAR & LAUDAT• DIESEL - FOND COLE & SUGARLOAF

– Peak Demand – 14.7MW


Dominica – What and where


Domlec Pay-As-You Go System


Pay-As-You-Go System

1. Program Drivers and Business Needs

2. Upgrade to Juice Software and Elster AMI Meters

3. Looking Ahead – AMI/Prepaid


Program Drivers

– Challenges and dissatisfaction with existing situation.• Bad debt write offs too large - $1M• Arrears volume growing - $5M over due• Arrears age growing – 82 days• Commercial losses too high at 8%• All older meters needed replacing, and a

conventional program is underway.


Program Drivers– Solution must deal with problems in a

timely and cost effective manner.– Additional Objectives:

• Reduce costs and hence lower tariffs• Improve customer satisfaction

• Improve cash flow situation


Program Status –Technical Issues

Domlec’s First Prepaid Electricity System Had 3 Main Parts…

Your Digital Meter

Replaces your old meter with

reliable all digital technology

In Home Display

Keypad wall-mounts inside premises

The Domlec Vending Stations

Holds your account information


Program Status - Marketing


Marketing – Customer Awareness


Marketing – Why go Pay-As-You-Go


Customer Satisfaction

• In our latest Quality of Service Survey conducted by Systematic Marketing and Research Services Inc in 2008, 17% of those surveyed were Prepaid Customers and they were well spread across socio-economic group, sex and age.

• 83% of those surveyed had a positive level of satisfaction.

• Approx. 15% savings on energy usage


Market Distribution


Program Drivers – System Loss

% Losses

89

1011121314151617181920

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009


Program Drivers – Debtors Days

Debtors Days

0

20

40

60

80

10020

00

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Years

Day

s

PREPAID PROGRAM STARTED OCT 2003


AMI Project

• Energy Axis Pilot Project

• Locations and challenges in Dominica• Cost – Benefit, where do we save and benefit

• Full implementation and progress so far• What are we using AMI for and how do we plan

to use it in future

• Integration with Prepaid and Advantages• Problems detected using AMI


Cost Benefit Analysis

Savings are achieved in the following areas:• Meter Reading - Contractors• Connect / Disconnect - Contractors• Reduction in Work Orders• Increased Revenue – Monthly Demand Billing• Quicker reconnection –reduced loss sales• Loss reduction• Reduction in other operating expensesPayback 6yrs.


Full Implementation – Elster Energy Axis System

• Started Meter Installations in October, 2009

• Approx 7200 Elster AMI meters presently Installed

• Approx. 9500 meters expected to be installed in 2010

• Communication issues have been minor

• Surprising results with respect to communication i.e. distances and locations


What will AMI do for DOMLEC and Customers?

• CUSTOMER SERVICE

– Daily Meter Reads and On Demand reads

– Time Of Use billing – hydro component

– Rapid response to customer problems, and revenue protection sometimes before the customer is aware – faults and errors

– Fewer service orders produced and time spent processing them – particularly in billing

– Easy Disconnection and rapid Reconnection of customers


What will AMI do for DOMLEC and Customers?

– Voltage Monitoring – scheduling reads on particular points and times on the system

– Two way metering – renewables– Outage management and restoration

• Very critical after hurricane events• Ensure that an area is fully restored before

crews leave• Improved outage statistics

– Prepaid and postpaid integrated into one system – one meter - Juice


Upgrade to Juice Software and Elster AMI Meters

• Customer Service Focused– Accessibility

• Vending locations – Gas Stations, 7-11, Ross University• Scratch Cards – at convenient locations across the island• Web Presentment – view usage, load & voltage profile • Text Messaging & Email – token, tamper reset, clear credit,

transfer credit• IVR – Redeem scratch cards, transfer credit

– Payment Options• Credit & Debit Cards• Online • Telephone - Credit Cards • Emergency credit purchase


AMI Graphs in juice prepaid and postpaid– kWh per day


kWh, LP, Voltage graphs


Looking Ahead – PREPAID AMI

– Prepaid Meters Installed – Almost 9,000

• 2010 – 1,000 • 2011 – 1,500

– Voluntary program– Also provides an effective solution for

customers who have difficulty with payment

– Mix of conventional and Elster AMI


Features of Prepaid AMI

• Non Token Based – Credit immediately applied to account.

• No disconnection on weekends and public holidays, predictability of disconnect same time daily

• Web presentment available to customers• Customers can transfer credit to a friend• Text messaging means that customer can get

his balance anywhere• In home display or keypad not necessary


End.

QUESTIONS?

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