Electricity consumers given incentives to acquire pre-paid meters

Electricity consumers given incentives to acquire pre-paid meters

Monday, December 15, 2014 4:02 pm


MADUABUCHI NMERIBEH/Kano

Authorities of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has urged electricity consumers to make haste and acquire metres and get rewarded with 11 per cent discount incentives.

Mr. Eyo Ekpo, Commissioner for Market Competition and Rates of NERC told journalists in Kano, North-West Nigeria on Monday that the Commission has directed all the DISCOs across the country to make metres available for all consumers so as to avoid the problem of bill evasion and over-billing.

Pre-paid metres

Pre-paid metres

Ekpo urged Kano residents to embrace Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation, CAPMI, initiative so as to avoid the problem of illegal payment and inadequate metering.

NERC organized Public Consultation and Fact Finding meeting with electricity consumers and stakeholders at Tahir Guest Palace, Kano, on Monday.

Electricity consumers were educated on the need to support the CAMPMI initiative.

According to Ekpo, electricity consumers who apply for metres from DISCO’s should insist their metres are provided and installed in their residence within a period of 45 days, adding that DISCOs should ensure refund of customers’ money expended on purchase of metre, within a period of two years, with 11 per cent interest.

“In 2012, the commission set up a regulation that we call CAPMI, a scheme whereby customers can assist Distribution Companies by paying for metres. Let me say that that is not the way it should be done. Customers are not supposed to pay extra for metres because the cost of metre is covered by the fixed charge.

“So, what we said you can pay for the metre, but if you pay, the DISCO that paid to will refund the cost of that metre to you over a period of time. A customer who paid for metre can be refunded for a period of not more than two years.

“Since the handover of Distribution Companies to private organizations, quite a number of Distribution Companies under new ownership has been going ahead with the scheme. We have also been hearing quite a few complaints from Distribution Companies. Payments are made but metres are not delivered within the 45-day period that we specify as a maximum period of time that you pay for a metre and receiving that metre fully installed in your premises. We expect more people to be aware pay the money and hope to get your money back with 11 per cent interest.

“We are in Kano to interact with customers on what is going on with the metring scheme; if the metring scheme is under full implementation. We have heard a few things and as you can see, what is now going on is the interaction between customers and Kano DISCO,” he stated.

Managing Director of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), Dr. Jamil Isyaku Gwamna stated that the company is doing everything possible to ensure that its customers are subscribed to the latest metering initiative as prescribed by NERC, just as he urged electricity consumers within KEDCO’s area of jurisdiction to visit its business units and offices to purchase their metres.


Join The Conversation

What do you think?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.