Electricity consumers in the country can now have their prepaid metres immediately after payment, the Commissoner, Consumer Affairs, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Dr. Moses Arigu has said.
Arigu asked Distribution Companies (DISCOs) and Meter Assets Providers (MAPs) to intensify effort in supplying meters to electricity consumers within their operational areas as soon as payment were made.
Arigu made this known at a Discos and Customers Care Forum, yesterday during an interactive session with consumers in Ikeja, according to Agency reports.
Arigu said that the goal of NERC was to ensure that all electricity consumers in the country were metered to curb arbitrary estimated billings by the Discos, and also increase the revenue of the electricity value chain.
He also reiterated that electricity customers across the country could either pay fully for their meters or pay in installments for a period of 10 years.
“It is the Discos that introduced MAPs to the regulatory authority; hence the effectiveness of the MAPs remains their responsibility.
“A customer does not have a contract with the MAPs. It is the responsibility of the Disco to ensure that all customers are metered.
“Payment for the meter is either through upfront payment or instalment payment of up to 10 years,” he said, stressing that it depended on the option chosen by the customer.
NERC Commissioner said that the forum was initiated to hear complaints from customers regarding the MAPs and how they could be addressed, toward fast-tracking the metering processes.
He, however, cautioned customers against engaging in unauthorised access to electricity, tampering and by-passing of meters, noting that such customers were liable to be punished.
The commissioner said that the punishment for unauthorised access includes payment of administrative charges, reconnection charges and loss of revenue charges, which range from N50,000 to N115,000. Two of the customers, Alhaji Bola Awosika, on the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company network, and Mr Uche Ejide, on the Eko Electric Distribution Company network, said they had paid for their meters for months but were still waiting for installation.
NewsTelegraph
