Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi
The
Federal Government has directed the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory
Commission to commence the implementation of an alternative funding
scheme that will facilitate the deployment of electricity meters.
The deployment of the meters, according
to the government, will address the menace of ‘crazy billing’ by the
Power Holding Company of Nigeria, as well as curb all other commercial
losses being experienced by electricity consumers.
The commission, in a statement, said
PACP agreed with recommendations made by it and asked for the immediate
implementation of the alternative funding scheme known as ‘Credit
advance payment for meter installation.’
It said, “The scheme was designed as an
alternative for customers who are willing to advance money to their
distribution companies for speedy installation of prepayment meters.
“One of the top priorities of the
commission is ensuring that the huge number of un-metered customers is
reduced as rapidly as possible and within the shortest possible time. By
doing so, the menace of ‘crazy billing’ and other commercial losses
will be greatly curtailed.”
The commission had in June last year
announced that customers were no longer required to pay for electricity
meters because the new tariff structure had incorporated the cost of
meters in the fixed charge component of their bills.
However, to the surprise of the
consumers, the commission reversed itself in January this year by
amending its earlier directive, and stating that customers who had yet
to get the pre-paid meters and who were still receiving ‘crazy estimated
bills’ were at liberty to pay for meters to enable them control their
electricity consumption.
The commission said the announcement in
June last year did not work out well as it had expected, adding that
nine months after the announcement, an unacceptable number of Nigerians
still remained without meters.
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