What is a prepaid electricity meter and how does it work?
A prepaid electricity meter deducts units from a pre-loaded balance in real time. For PGs, hostels and co-living, it stops bill disputes, prevents leakage, and removes manual meter reading. Encharge by Enlog is India's IoT-grade prepaid meter built for room-wise PG billing.
How a prepaid electricity meter works
A prepaid electricity meter is a digital energy meter that measures consumption in kWh and deducts its value from a wallet balance the user has already paid for. When the balance drops below a configured threshold, the meter sends a low-balance alert; at zero, supply is automatically cut (with configurable grace periods).
Modern prepaid meters are IoT-connected — readings, tariffs, recharges and balance are managed from a dashboard, not a physical top-up slot. This is what distinguishes a true smart prepaid meter from a legacy keypad meter.
Why PGs, hostels and co-living are adopting prepaid billing
- —Zero disputes — tenants pay before they consume, so nobody argues about the month-end bill.
- —100% collection — recharge flows are automated via UPI, cards or wallets.
- —Stops leakage — no more tenants leaving AC on all day because "it's included".
- —Room-wise fairness — each tenant pays for exactly what they used.
- —Lower manpower cost — no manual meter reading, no paper invoices.
Prepaid smart meter vs keypad / token prepaid meter
A keypad prepaid meter requires the user to physically enter a code from a paper recharge. A smart prepaid meter recharges over the internet — the owner can manage hundreds of meters from a single dashboard, set per-room tariffs, and see live usage.
For multi-room properties (PG, hostel, co-living, rental apartments), smart prepaid is the only scalable option. Keypad meters become an operational nightmare beyond 5–10 rooms.
What to look for when buying a prepaid meter
- —BIS / metering accuracy class 1.0 or better.
- —Single-phase and three-phase variants (for common loads and heavy AC).
- —Remote disconnect / reconnect over IoT.
- —Tenant-side mobile app for balance, recharge and usage history.
- —Owner dashboard for rooms, floors, tariffs, common-area split.
- —Ability to meter DG, inverter and solar backup fairly.
- —After-sales support and warranty (typically 2+ years).
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Private prepaid sub-metering for tenants, PG residents and hostel inmates is legal as long as the primary utility meter is paid on time and tenants are charged the utility tariff (not a markup). Encharge is designed to comply with this.
A basic single-phase smart prepaid meter starts around ₹3,500–₹6,000 per point in India; three-phase meters cost more. Total cost depends on number of rooms, common-area loads and whether DG/solar needs to be metered. Contact Enlog for a PG-specific quote.
Yes — Encharge meters install in the existing DB of each room or floor without rewiring. A site survey confirms phase balance, DB space and CT ratios for three-phase loads.
With Encharge, tenants get a free tenant app to check balance, recharge via UPI/cards, and see room-wise consumption. Owners get a separate dashboard.