NERC promises to begin mass metering of electricity consumers August 1

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said that it will begin mass meter deployment, installation and customer registration/network cleanup for the 4.7 million electricity customers that are unmetered in the country beginning from August 1, 2019.

The Commissioner, NERC, Nathan Rogers Shatti, who disclosed this yesterday in Lagos while briefing journalists on the status of meter roll-out exercise under the Meter Asset Providers (MAP), said the commission, having identified the huge gap in electricity in the country, aimed at closing the metering gap in the Nigerian Electricity Service Industry within three years (2021) and ensuring that estimated billing is eliminated completely.

He said the commission had approved 42 Meter Asset Providers under the MAP regulation after a rigorous procurement exercise carried out by the 11 Discos in Nigeria to commence the deployment of meters, which did not commence immediately nationwide as anticipated due to the need to finalise some documentations and mobile the supply of meters.

He said that after discussion with stakeholders on solutions to the issue, some Discos franchise commenced installation of meters in various areas, while those who have not started for some obvious reasons, will start by August 1 to ensure that by 2021, the unmetered 4.7 million electricity customers must have been metered.

He said the customers could acquire meter by upfront or installment payment under the MAP Regulation Scheme.

Besides, Deputy General Manager, Consumer Affairs, Dr. Shittu Shaibu, said the NERC, as part of efforts to achieve this goal, would monitor and enforce implementation through regular reporting from the MAPs and Discos on the deployment and installation process across each franchise, as well as carry out regular visits to confirm actual installations and the progress of the implementation.

He added that the commission would also carry out customer surveys to get independent customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction reports and key concerns with the aim of resolving them quickly and ensuring that the implementation is not derailed.