Titas Gas to Install 1.75m Smart Meters from 2026

Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution PLC is set to begin installing 1.75 million smart prepaid gas meters in 2026, marking a significant technological upgrade in its service areas. The state-run utility has already appointed one project management consultant (PMC), while the selection process for a second is currently underway.

“We’re hopeful that implementation can start in the second half of 2026,” said Shahnewaj Parvez, Managing Director of Titas Gas, which serves over 2.878 million consumers and commands 55% of the country’s gas market.

The new initiative is being financed by two major international lenders—the World Bank (WB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Of the total 1.75 million meters, the WB will fund 1.1 million, while the ADB will finance the remaining 650,000.

Titas has already signed separate loan agreements with both banks—one with the WB on November 23, 2023, under the Gas Sector Efficiency and Carbon Abatement Project, and another with the ADB on November 28, 2023, under the Smart Metering Energy Efficiency Improvement Project.

Local and Global Partners Involved

Under the WB-financed segment, local firm Development & Technical Consultant Limited (DTCL) has been appointed as PMC. The second PMC for the ADB-funded component is yet to be finalized after a previous tender was canceled due to irregularities.

According to Titas, the PMCs will play a central role in the planning, design, supervision, and technical oversight of the project, including monitoring the tendering process.

From Prepaid to Smart: A Leap Forward

Titas has already installed about 420,000 prepaid meters over the past decade—primarily in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, and Narsingdi—with financial support from Japan’s JICA. However, these were basic prepaid meters.

“This time, we’re shifting to smart prepaid meters,” said Parvez. “Unlike the older ones that required physical recharging at vendor points, smart meters allow users to recharge remotely via smartphones. That’s the major advantage.”

Target Areas for Meter Deployment

According to the plan, the WB-funded meters will be installed in Dhaka South and Narayanganj, while the ADB-financed meters will go to Dhaka North and Gazipur.

Titas currently serves 2.853 million households, along with thousands of commercial, industrial, and power consumers across Dhaka, Manikganj, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Narsingdi, and Mymensingh.

Fighting System Losses

The smart meter project is part of a broader government initiative to reduce Titas’s system loss—currently hovering at 7%. Company officials estimate that unchecked losses cost Titas between Tk 150-180 crore per month. A full transition to smart meters could save the company Tk 1,800-2,160 crore annually.

Titas sells about 14,459.41 million cubic metres of gas each year, generating annual revenues of Tk 26,387.12 crore.