Industrial gas connections and the move to prepaid metering
What an industrial gas application actually requires, why availability rather than paperwork sets the timeline, and how smart prepaid metering changes cost control.
Utilities · 6 min read · Updated August 2026
Gas is the constraint that most often decides whether a manufacturing project commissions on schedule. Application quality matters, but network availability at your specific location matters more — and the two must be assessed together before a site is finalised.
What the application file contains
- Load calculation covering boilers, generators, dryers and process burners with diversity factors stated.
- GIS-referenced site location and a factory layout plan showing the intended metering station.
- Company documents: incorporation, trade licence, TIN, VAT registration and project registration.
- Land ownership or lease documents matched to the mutation record.
- Equipment specifications and supplier documentation for gas-fired plant.
Utility connection — sequence and duration
Utility files are the most common cause of commissioning delay because they depend on network availability, not only on your paperwork.
| Step | Gas (Titas / regional) | Electricity (PBS / DPDC / DESCO) |
|---|---|---|
| Application and load declaration | Layout, GIS location, load calculation | Feasibility application with connected load |
| Technical assessment | Network availability and pressure survey | Feasibility study and line route survey |
| Cost settlement | Demand note and security deposit | Construction cost deposit |
| Installation and inspection | Pipeline, station and meter installation | Wiring inspection by licensed electrician |
| Energisation | Indicative 3–9 months overall | Indicative 6–16 weeks after deposit |
Prepaid smart metering
The distribution utilities are rolling out smart prepaid meters to curb system loss and improve billing accuracy. For an industrial consumer this changes cash management: consumption becomes a prepaid balance to be monitored rather than an arrear to be reconciled. Plants running continuous processes should build balance alerts into the maintenance routine, because an exhausted balance stops a line as effectively as a mechanical failure.
Practical advice
Ask about network availability before you sign a lease. We run a pre-application availability check, size the load realistically rather than optimistically, and sequence the demand note settlement so that the pipeline work aligns with your machinery arrival rather than trailing it.