Metering can’t solve power challenges, says IBEDC

The Chief Transformation and Strategy Officer of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Iranola Ayodeji, has said that metering does not entirely solve the nation’s power challenges.

According to him, there have been complaints from some metered customers on IBEDC network with respect to operations and how the meters run fast.

He said most customers are not familiar with the consumption rates of the new meters because the analogue ones were not well calibrated to capture full energy consumption.

Ayodeji who said metering does not entirely address the challenges in the sector, noted that even in pilot areas the company has metered, revenue collected does not commensurate with the bills owed by by-passes who engage in energy theft.

To that effect, the company he said had embarked on an Asset Customer Enumeration (ACE) programme, which is estimated at about N5bn.

The ACE programme as explained by the company’s Chief Operating Officer , John Ayodele, was a step to capture customers in the DisCo’s franchise areas through data gathering as the pilot in Elebu, a community in Ibadan, had identified additional population which they were not aware of.

According to him, the enumeration programme, which is scheduled for completion by early next year, is a way of linking customers to the assets because it is fully automated and can allow energy audit and comparative analysis of energy consumption for both metered and non metered customers.

On safety, Ayodele cited that most DISCOs do not have ISO safety certificates that can warrant their lending for investments.