pay for electricity by mobile phone
The Easipawa Easipay (pronounced Easypower Easypay) service in Papua New Guinea allows subscribers of the Digicel PNG mobile network to purchase pre-paid electricity using their Digicel airtime.
Easipawa (pronounced Easy Power) is the name given to the pre-paid electricity metering system operated by PNG Power Limited, the local electricity utility in Papua New Guinea.
how it works
The Easipawa service in Papua New Guinea means that Easipay electricity can be purchased at anytime directly from a mobile phone. Users enter their meter number followed by the amount of electricity they wish to purchase. Following a confirmation, the pre-paid voucher is delivered in an SMS to the users mobile phone. Payment for the electricity is deducted directly from the users airtime balance.
The Easipawa service uses a combination of USSD and SMS technologies meaning it can be used on any mobile phone.
pre-paid electricity
In many developing and emerging markets, it is common for electricity to be metered as a pre-paid service.
Each home or building is fitted with a special pre-paid meter with a unique meter number which also includes a keypad and a display. Users purchase a pre-paid electricity voucher at their local electricity shop. They obtain a printed receipt which includes a 16 or 20 digit code that can only be used on their meter. They then enter this code into their meter and the electricity is dispensed until the pre-paid value runs out.
The electricity shops or agents are usually sparsely located in main town centres and are often only open for limited hours during weekdays. An obvious problem with this is the enormous inconvenience posed when electricity runs out during the night or over the weekend meaning people are literally left in the dark.
The Easipawa service in is reportedly responsible for 60% of all pre-paid electricity purchases in Papua New Guinea.
results
• simple and convenient
• successful and profitable
• ROI in under 18 months
• usage is still growing
Similar services to the Easipawa service can be configured and deployed in almost any market.
See BuyPower for more details or Contact us.
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