STS Prepaid Electricity, Water and Gas Meter Solutions
Product selection for utility and metering projects
Product portfolio
Smart Metering Products
Explore prepaid energy, water and gas meters, plus AMI devices for data collection and network connectivity.
Utility buyer guide
How to select prepaid meters by project market
These answers help utility buyers compare STS prepaid electricity meters, LoRaWAN smart water meters, prepaid gas meters, and AMI components before requesting specifications.
Prepaid meter for Africa
STS prepaid electricity meters, keypad water meters, CIU, and AMI devices
For African utility and sub-metering projects, CalinMeters usually recommends STS prepaid meters because 20-digit token recharge can work even where network coverage is inconsistent.
- Use keypad STS electricity meters for basic prepaid rollout and token-based credit control.
- Use split keypad or CIU configurations when meters are locked outdoors, mounted on poles, or installed in anti-tamper boxes.
- Add GPRS, DCU, or LoRaWAN devices when the project also needs remote reading and AMI management.
Prepaid meter for Southeast Asia
LoRaWAN smart water meters, prepaid electricity meters, and prepaid gas meters
For Southeast Asia, CalinMeters usually matches the meter to building density, network availability, and utility operations: LoRaWAN is useful for clustered water meter reading, while STS prepaid electricity meters remain practical for token sales.
- Use LoRaWAN smart water meters where many meters are installed in communities, compounds, or municipal service areas.
- Use ultrasonic water meters when no moving parts and long-term measurement stability are more important than lowest upfront cost.
- Use prepaid gas meters with LoRaWAN when operators need valve control, credit management, and remote reading.
Smart metering solution for utilities
AMI solution with meters, CIUs, DCUs, LoRaWAN gateways, and vending software
A smart metering solution for utilities should be planned as a system, not only as individual meters. Shenzhen Calinmeter Co., Ltd. combines STS prepaid meters, CIUs, DCUs, LoRaWAN gateways, and API-ready vending support for utility projects.
- Use CIUs when customers need indoor token entry and balance checking.
- Use DCUs or LoRaWAN gateways when many meters should report through shared network equipment.
- Use API integration when the utility or partner already has payment, vending, or meter management software.
STS token workflow
How a token based prepaid meter works
A token based prepaid meter uses STS security to load credit before consumption. The same workflow can support standalone keypad meters, split keypad prepaid meters with a CIU, and AMI projects with remote management.
1. Register meter
The utility or operator registers the STS prepaid meter number in a vending or meter management system.
2. Sell credit
The customer buys electricity, water or gas credit through a sales point, mobile money channel or integrated payment system.
3. Generate token
The vending system encrypts the credit into a secure 20-digit STS token linked to that meter.
4. Recharge meter
The customer enters the token on the meter keypad or CIU. Remote recharge can be added when the project uses GPRS, LoRaWAN or AMI integration.
Selected category
Energy Meter
STS prepaid electricity meters for residential and commercial use
Selection guide
How to choose an STS prepaid electricity meter
For utility and property projects, choose the meter by installation type, phase requirement and remote management needs. A keypad STS prepaid meter can work with 20-digit tokens without a network connection, while GPRS or LoRaWAN models support remote reading and AMI management.
Three phase buyer guide
CA368 GPRS or standalone STS: which model fits the project?
Both CA368 models support STS prepaid electricity metering for three-phase service connections. The main selection decision is whether the project needs direct GPRS communication or only secure keypad token operation.
| Model | Communication | Best fit | Token operation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA368 Smart STS Prepaid Three Phase Energy Meter (GPRS) | GPRS | Utilities and commercial projects that need direct remote reading, monitoring, and meter management. | STS 20-digit token entry remains available while GPRS adds remote data and management functions. |
| CA368 STS Prepaid Three Phase Energy Meter | Standalone STS | Commercial or utility connections that need secure token prepayment without always-on remote communication. | Customers enter 20-digit STS tokens directly on the meter keypad. |
Before requesting a quotation, provide the nominal voltage, maximum current or CT ratio, installation method, communication coverage, vending or API requirement, estimated quantity, and destination-market standards or utility specifications.
Single Phase Energy Meter
CA168 Smart STS Prepaid DIN Rail Energy Meter (LoRaWAN)
DIN rail STS prepaid energy meter with LoRaWAN communication for remote meter reading and token management.
CA168 Smart STS Prepaid Energy Meter (GPRS)
STS prepaid single-phase meter with GPRS communication for remote monitoring and control.
CA168 STS Prepaid Energy Meter
Standard STS prepaid single-phase energy meter with keypad for token entry.
Three Phase Energy Meter
CA368 Smart STS Prepaid Three Phase Energy Meter (GPRS)
Three-phase STS prepaid electricity meter for commercial, industrial, and utility service connections, with GPRS communication for remote reading and management.
CA368 STS Prepaid Three Phase Energy Meter
Standalone three-phase STS prepaid electricity meter with keypad token entry for projects that do not require always-on remote communication.
CT Meter
CT Operated Energy Meter
Transformer-operated (CT) energy meter for high-current commercial and industrial metering.
Metering solutions
Solutions for utility metering projects
Use these project scenarios to match prepaid meters, communication devices, and AMI components before requesting a quote.
Electricity utilities and property operators
STS prepaid electricity meter projects
CalinMeters STS prepaid electricity meters help utilities, landlords, and sub-metering operators collect payment before consumption while still supporting familiar 20-digit token workflows.
- Single phase, three phase, DIN rail, and CT options cover residential, commercial, and high-current installations.
- Keypad STS meters can operate without a live network connection for basic token recharge.
- GPRS and LoRaWAN models support remote reading, remote monitoring, and AMI project management.
Water utilities and residential communities
LoRaWAN smart water meter deployments
LoRaWAN smart water meters are suitable for projects that need remote reading without placing a SIM card in every meter. Multi-jet and ultrasonic options support different budget, durability, and accuracy requirements.
- Plastic multi-jet meters are practical for cost-sensitive residential rollouts.
- Brass multi-jet meters are better for tougher installation environments.
- Ultrasonic meters have no moving parts and are useful when long-term measurement stability matters.
Remote reading and data collection
AMI metering solution architecture
An AMI metering solution typically combines smart meters, CIUs, DCUs or LoRaWAN gateways, and a back-end vending or meter management platform for token, reading, and device operations.
- CIUs keep token entry and balance checks accessible when meters are locked outdoors or mounted on poles.
- DCUs aggregate meter data for dense clusters such as villages, compounds, and utility service areas.
- LoRaWAN gateways connect smart meters to the network where remote reading is required at scale.
Residential and commercial gas metering
Prepaid gas meter applications
CalinMeters prepaid gas meters combine STS token security, valve control, and LoRaWAN communication for projects that need credit control and remote reading in gas applications.
- STS prepayment supports secure token-based credit management.
- LoRaWAN communication reduces dependence on individual cellular subscriptions.
- Remote reading helps operators monitor consumption and reduce manual field collection.
LoRaWAN water meter selection
Plastic, brass, or ultrasonic: which smart water meter fits the project?
Shenzhen Calinmeter Co., Ltd. supplies STS prepaid water meters for utility and community projects. Select the meter by measurement principle, body material, field conditions, communication coverage, lifecycle expectations, and destination-market requirements.
| Meter type | Measurement principle | Communication | Best fit | Confirm before quotation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic multi-jet prepaid water meter | Mechanical multi-jet | LoRaWAN | Cost-sensitive residential and community rollouts with standard installation conditions. | Confirm pipe size, flow range, water quality, installation orientation, valve requirement, and enclosure conditions. |
| Brass multi-jet prepaid water meter | Mechanical multi-jet | LoRaWAN | Projects that prefer a stronger metal body for tougher installation environments. | Confirm pipe size, flow range, water quality, body-material requirement, valve operation, and local compliance documents. |
| Ultrasonic prepaid water meter | Ultrasonic, no moving measuring parts | LoRaWAN or GPRS | Projects that prioritize no moving measuring parts and long-term measurement stability over the lowest initial cost. | Confirm flow range, installation conditions, keypad or CIU access, communication coverage, battery expectations, and pilot requirements. |
For LoRaWAN projects, complete a site survey before rollout. Gateway placement, building materials, terrain, meter-box location, and local radio conditions affect practical coverage, so a pilot is more reliable than choosing equipment from a distance figure alone.
Request water meter configurationPrepaid gas meter selection
What should a utility specify before buying a prepaid gas meter?
Shenzhen Calinmeter Co., Ltd. supplies the CA768 smart STS prepaid gas meter with LoRaWAN communication. A utility or system integrator should define the gas service, valve workflow, customer recharge method, network design, and destination-market requirements before requesting a final configuration.
- Gas service and meter sizing
- Define the gas type, service pressure, required meter size, expected flow range, installation orientation, and environmental conditions before selecting a configuration.
- Prepayment and valve operation
- Confirm the STS token workflow, credit rules, valve close and reopen process, emergency-credit policy, and the customer support procedure for failed recharge or valve events.
- Customer recharge access
- Specify how customers will receive and enter 20-digit STS tokens and whether the installation needs a separate customer interface for convenient indoor access.
- LoRaWAN network design
- Document meter density, building materials, meter location, gateway placement, backhaul, and expected reporting interval. Validate representative locations with a site survey and pilot.
- Compliance and pilot acceptance
- Identify destination-country standards, utility specifications, required approvals, test documents, installation rules, and pilot acceptance criteria before final model confirmation.
Do not select a gas meter from communication technology alone. Meter sizing, local installation rules, valve behavior, required approvals, and the operating procedure for customers and field teams must be confirmed together. A representative pilot should test token recharge, valve operation, radio coverage, and back-end data before mass rollout.
Request gas meter configurationAfrica utility procurement
What to specify before buying prepaid meters for Africa
Utilities and system integrators should define the electrical service, installation method, STS vending workflow, communication architecture, destination-market compliance, and pilot plan before requesting a final meter configuration.
- Load and meter type
- Specify single phase, three phase, DIN rail, or CT-operated metering according to the service connection and maximum current.
- Installation and customer access
- Choose a built-in keypad when the meter is accessible. Choose a split keypad prepaid meter or CIU when the meter is locked outdoors, mounted on a pole, or installed in an anti-tamper enclosure.
- STS vending and payment
- Confirm 20-digit STS token vending, sales-point workflow, mobile money integration, and whether an API is needed for an existing payment or customer platform.
- Communication and AMI
- Use standalone token meters for basic prepayment. Add GPRS, LoRaWAN, a DCU, or a gateway when remote reading, alarms, or device management are required.
- Destination-market compliance
- State the required national standards, utility specifications, type approvals, accuracy class, enclosure rating, and documentation before model selection. Requirements differ by country and project.
- Pilot and rollout plan
- Run a pilot with representative installation conditions, test token and payment workflows, verify communication coverage, and confirm field procedures before mass deployment.
Buyer-focused information
Evaluate the product and the project together
Metering products must be matched to service conditions, customer workflows, communication architecture and destination requirements.
Published Specifications
Compare parameters transcribed from the available product datasheets before confirming a model.
Token Prepayment
Plan 20-digit STS token entry, customer access and vending responsibilities for each deployment.
Communication Options
Select standalone, GPRS, LoRaWAN or other published options according to project coverage and operations.
Project Configuration
Confirm destination standards, utility specifications and required documents before final model selection.
Company
About Shenzhen Calinmeter Co., Ltd.
Shenzhen Calinmeter Co., Ltd. (CalinMeters) supplies prepaid meters for electricity, water and gas projects, together with Customer Interface Units, data concentrators and LoRaWAN gateways.
Product selection is based on the service conditions, customer recharge workflow, communication coverage, system integration and destination utility requirements. Published datasheets are available on applicable model pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Expert answers to common questions about our products
Get in Touch
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Contact Information
Address
Floor 6, Bd A1, Qiaode Tech Park, Kelian Rd, Guang Ming District Shenzhen, China
Phone
+8613713788753WhatsApp / WeChat
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