EEDC begins free distribution of 92,300 pre-paid meters to customers

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) Plc said it had begun the installation of 92,300 pre-paid electricity meters to its customers free of charge.

Its Head of Corporate Communications, Mr. Emeka Eze, told The Guardian that the meters were made available under the Federal Government initiated National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) designed to close the metering gap in the sector.

He said: “We are currently in the “Phase O” of the NMMP which provides us with about 92,300 meters and about 60,000 customers are already metered under this programme, while efforts are on to wrap up the phase and move on to the next stage, which is the “Phase One” of the programme.”

He said the installation was being effected free of charge and debunked the publication by an online news platform alleging that the EEDC was collecting N20,000 for meters currently being installed across its network under the NMMP.

Eze consequently challenged any customer claiming to have paid for pre-paid meter installation to produce evidence of such payment, saying that the EEDC has put measures in place to ensure that there is no room for extortion and that if attempts are made, there are channels through which customers could report such cases.”

“EEDC has in its commitment to the success of the Federal Government initiated NMMP, which was designed to close the metering gap in the sector, embarked on mass public education through various media channels,” he said.

According to him, their customers have been reluctant to use these established platforms to report alleged attempts to extort money from them, adding that the company also engaged the services of local town criers in areas where the metering is ongoing.

“EEDC wishes to reiterate that meter is free and that any customer who claims that he/she made payment for the meter to EEDC should come forward with evidence of such transaction,” he further said.