Moving your society to prepaid billing: a checklist for the committee

Switching a whole society to prepaid billing is as much a communication project as a technical one. This checklist covers what committees most often wish they had done earlier.

Before you decide

• Get a site survey to confirm meter compatibility, DG changeover arrangements and costs.
• Agree the billing rules: grid and DG tariffs, fixed charges, maintenance and the zero-balance policy.
• Take the proposal through whatever approval your society's bye-laws require.

Prepare your data

• A clean list of towers, flats, shops and offices with unit types and areas.
• Owner and tenant names with mobile numbers — these become app logins, so accuracy matters.
• Opening balances: outstanding dues and advances to carry over.

Tell residents early

• Circulate a short note explaining why the society is switching and what will change for residents.
• Publish the tariffs and the zero-balance policy in writing.
• Hold a help session, in person or online, for residents who are less comfortable with apps.

Go-live week

• Ask residents to install the app and make a first recharge a few days before the switch.
• Keep the facility office staffed for questions and first-time recharges.
• Watch the list of units that haven't recharged yet and contact them personally.

After the first month

Review the collection reports, complaints and any disconnections with your facility manager. Most societies find a small number of rules worth fine-tuning once they see real usage — and that's exactly what the first month is for.