Design and Construction of a Multi-User Prepaid Meter

Abstract

The Nigerian government has used prepaid metering for nearly two decades to eliminate post-paid and estimated billing system. There is no doubt that this billing system has benefited house owners who do not have renters as well as a few persons who have the advantage of knowing the exact number of prepaid meters for their apartments. Those living in rental apartments, on the other hand, experience the identical problem with postpaid when a single prepaid meter is divided among inhabitants. Sharing a single prepayment frequently violates the aim of prepaid metering because individual use cannot be reliably tracked. To address the issue of sharing, a unique type of prepaid meter that can handle multiple users on a single prepaid is required. As a result, this study proposes a multi-user prepaid meter that completely prevent conflicts that arise from the sharing of prepaid meters. A prototype for four users was planned and built around Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for individual user identification; a quasi-current sensor to measure energy usage and an Arduino Uno microcontroller ATmega 328p to manage the activities of the system. From the process of recharging to the display unit and other aspects that permit remote transaction of the device, the designed multi-user prepaid energy monitoring system functions well. To address the demand for unmetered houses across the country, the prepaid meter could be mass produced. Considering the different obstacles people have as a result of the low distribution of prepaid meters, this multi-user prepaid meter will undoubtedly be a promising technology to suit Nigerians' demands while also eliminating potential problems with prepaid meter sharing.