Ekiti State Government has urged the electricity distribution company (Disco) operating in the state, Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), to ensure that all the electricity consumers are metered to put an end to estimated billing across the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, who gave the charge in Ado-Ekiti during an engagement with concerned stakeholders on electricity matters, noted that arbitrary and outrageous electricity bills being imposed on un-metered houses had discouraged many consumers from paying their bills, adding that the ugly trend was also discouraging investors from investing in the state leading to loss of revenue.
Aluko said that the meeting was convened to address and put an end to estimated billing methods and ensure that customers paid for only what they consumed with the provision of smart prepaid or postpaid meters.
The commissioner, who stressed that the Discos are expected to meter all consumers as soon as possible, enjoined all electricity distribution companies operating in the state to submit their comprehensive metering plans and strategies to Ekiti State Electricity Regulatory Bureau (EKSERB).
He said that the Meter Asset Providers Companies would be made to register with the Bureau to ensure compliance in supplying standard meters, adding that the meters would also pass through the process of certification before they are acquired to guarantee good quality and reliable products.
The state’s Head of Service, Sunday Komolafe, emphasised that having many companies providing meters should not be an issue, stressing that the focus is to make use of certified companies that will deliver standard meters products.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said the ongoing proactive reforms in the power sector initiated by the Governor Biodun Oyebanji-led administration had turned Ekiti into a trailblazer in power sector reform in Nigeria.
He said the move of the state would act as a catalyst in improving the ease of doing business and also allow the shared prosperity agenda of the administration to thrive more in the state.
Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Ekiti State chapter, Olusegun Ojo, solicited for instalment payments for consumers who are not privileged to pay at once to access the prepaid or postpaid meters.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of Ekiti State Electricity Regulatory Bureau, Dare David, said that the establishment of EKSERB was done under Ekiti State Electricity Power Sector Law 2023 to regulate electricity matters and operationalise the electricity market .
He solicited the continued support of all stakeholders for the efforts of the state government to improve service delivery in the power sector and generally boost the general well-being of residents in the state.
Responding on behalf of BEDC, General Manager of Ado-Ekiti District, Moyosola Akin-Afuye, pledged their full cooperation and readiness to work with the state towards achieving the desired goal.
