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The All Electricity Consumer Protection Forum (AECPF) has urged the Ikeja Electric and Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) to suspend the decommissioning of electricity meters.
The forum called on the DisCos to wait for formal approval from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) before proceeding with the phase-out.
This is coming after Ikeja Electric’s announcement to phase out Unistar meters, which are still operational across various electricity distribution companies.
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In a letter dated October 15, 2024, and signed by its National Coordinator, Adeola Samuel-Ilori, the ECPF expressed disappointment over the actions of the DisCos.
The letter, made available to The Guardian, criticised the electricity distribution firms for planning to decommission prepaid meters without seeking regulatory approval from the NERC.
Besides, the forum emphasised that it is disheartening for an organisation bound by law to act unilaterally in defiance of the Electricity Act 2023, particularly Section 34, which prohibits such actions without consulting the regulatory body.
The AECPF said that faulty prepaid meters, through no fault of the customers, should be replaced by the DisCos as per the regulations.
It, however, insisted that instead of asking customers to register for meters that are not readily available, the DisCos should be prepared to replace faulty meters within 48 hours, in line with metering Code 3:3 and the Consumer Protection Regulations, 2023, as amended.
The forum, therefore, urged the DisCos to issue a new directive to stop the decommissioning of Unistar meters under their franchise areas and ensure there won’t be any disruption of their services forthwith until approval is given by the regulatory body which had denied any approval to that level.
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