The largest electric distribution company, Ikeja Electric, IE, said it has concluded the Phase Zero of the National Mass Metering Programme, NNMP, with over 111,000 meters installed across its six business units.
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This is coming even as the company disclosed that plans are underway to deploy over 290,000 meters under the Phase 1 NNMP next year across all six business units on its network.
Recall that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, had stated that additional 157,758 end-use customers’ meters were installed in the fourth quarter of 2020.
This according to the commission indicated an increase of 20.5 per cent, when compared to 125,311 meters recorded in the third quarter, Q3, 2020.
However, speaking during the NERC customer complaints forum in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer, IE, Folake Soetan, affirmed that over 111,000 meters have been installed under Phase Zero of the National Mass Metering Programme (NNMP).
She stated that, meters were deployed to reduce the impact of Service Based Tariff, SBT, on customers. Hence feeders A, B and C were prioritised and identified customers were provided with prepaid meters.
“The overall goal for IE is to rebuild customer trust in the billing system where customers are made to pay for what they consume and ultimately reduce customer complaints. In addition to MAP and NMMP, IE has begun processes to take advantage of other metering frameworks e.g., vendor financing, DISCO funded etc.
“In a bid to scale up metering of customers in the year 2022, IE is concluding steps to bring in additional six MAPs to support the existing three MAPs. IE plans to deploy over 290,000 meters under the MAP and NMMP Phase 1 in the year 2022 starting from January across all six business units,” Soetan added.
On his part, the Vice Chairman/Commissioner, Market Competition and Rates, Musiliu Oseni, stated that the NERC’s responsibility as a regulator in the power sector is to ensure that consumers of electricity are taken care of by the various Distribution Companies in the country.
He said: “Prepaid meters will be given to customers freely because the federal government still have the responsibility of ensuring that its citizens are well taken care of.
“The meters will be free for customers, and at the end of the day, the DISCOs will be mandated to pay back with the loan that was granted by Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. NERC has also revised the MAPs to accommodate more companies.”
