The federal government has ordered licensed meter installers and electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) to deliver and install electricity meters for customers at no cost. It has also warned that any business that is seen requesting payment for the devices or installation will be prosecuted. The instruction was released by Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of Power, as part of initiatives to speed up universal metering, do away with estimated billing, and rebuild confidence in the nation's electrical supply infrastructure.
Adelabu said that the meters had previously been purchased through the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), which was supported by the World Bank. Adelabu emphasised that the federal government had paid for both the purchase and installation of the meters. Therefore, he characterised as unlawful and improper any attempt by DISCOs to charge customers for meters.
“Electricity meters are not for sale,” the minister said, adding that Nigerians should not be made to bear extra financial burdens for devices meant to improve accountability within the power sector. He claims that the metering program is intended to resolve long-standing grievances with arbitrary and approximated charging, which have led to disagreements between distribution companies and their clients.
The government intends to encourage equitable billing based solely on real consumption by guaranteeing that each client has a smart meter. The government will aslo import and install over 3.4 million smart meters across the country with assistance from the World Bank-backed initiative. About a million devices have already been supplied, according to Adelabu, and installation is anticipated to happen in stages throughout the nation.
The minister clarified that complete metering will improve the electrical market's financial stability in addition to protecting customers. He pointed out that clear billing would motivate clients to make on-time payments, increasing operators' revenue collection and liquidity.
To further address growing confusion regarding the Federal Government's metering programs and recent warnings against illegal charges by electricity distribution companies, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission clarified that not all electricity meters currently being installed nationwide are free.
In a radio interview with Adeola Samuel-Ilori on Fresh FM on Saturday, NERC Chairman Musiliu Oseni clarified that meters supplied under government-funded programs are free at the location of installation, but that customers who are unable or unwilling to wait still have other options.
Customers who felt that the deployment was taking too long might pay for the goods under the MAP plan, according to Oseni, but meters supplied under the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme, or DISREP, are fully supported by the Federal Government and must be given to customers at no cost.