Having to wait in long queues and traveling long distances to pay for electricity is now a thing of the past for FEA prepaying customers.
Prepaid customers can now purchase electricity via their mobile phones.
Today, the Fiji Electricity Authority and Vodafone Fiji signed a partnership that will enable FEA prepaid customers in rural areas the convenience of paying for electricity without leaving their homes.
Through Vodafone Fiji’s M-Paisa service this is now a possibility.
“Customers today mostly based in the rural areas travel quite long distances to be able to top up their prepay services and sometimes these services could run out or close at 8pm. By providing this service, customers would be able to top up 24/7, any day provided they have their M-Paisa balance,” revealed Vodafone Fiji’s chief executive officer, Pradeep Lal.
“For FEA, as we go more and more into rural areas it is cheaper for us to install prepay meters because in the post pay meters if the customer does not pay their bill first we have to go and read the meter. Secondly, if they do not pay on time we have to go and disconnect. So from an administrative point of view it is very costly for us,” said FEA chief executive officer, Hasmukh Patel.
Over 23,000 FEA prepaid customers will benefit from this initiative instantly.
“The launch of FEA’s prepaid power though M-Paisa is realizing one of the many benefits that could be offered through M-Paisa. Today, we offer a number of services through M-Paisa. Customers are able to send and receive money, international remittances coming into the country, people are able to purchase recharge cards,pay electricity, water and city rates and many more,” added Lal.
For FEA prepaid customers such as Ilisipeci Saumi payment has been made a whole lot easier.
“It takes away the hassle of traveling long distances and standing in lines to buy cash power. But sometimes the system is down and it is too much of a trouble. This prepaid service through the mobile systems is just so easy,” said Saumi as she became the first FEA prepaid customer to make a purchase today.
The service will extend to other mobile network users as well and all transaction charges are borne by FEA.
“We are also talking to Digicel and once they are ready we will also be launching with them. So Digicel customers will be able to use their mobile phones to purchase electricity tokens on a prepay basis. We expect that to happen sometimes in March,” added Patel.