- NERC urges DisCos to replace of old meters
- 3 million meters are obsolete and require replacements
- Rules out the possibility of estimated billing for affected customers
The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has directed Distribution Companies (DisCos) to replace old and obsolete meters for customers within their operation areas. In a document signed by Chairman Sanusi Garba and the Commissioner for Legal, Licensing and Compliance Dafe Akpeneye urged the DisCos to prioritise the replacement of such meters.
The Chairman noted that a large number of electricity customers remain unmetered. He also stated that, in addition to that number, there are about 3 million obsolete meters still in use within the system. “The commission notes that over seven million customers are currently unmetered as indicated by customer enumeration data. It is also estimated that an additional three million meters are currently obsolete and due for replacement”, the statement read.
He urged the DisCos to ensure they replace the old meters in order to keep in line with the provisions of the Metering Code. The Metering Code provides for the use of up-to-date metering technology to ensure the securitization of the industry’s revenue. The Chairman also added that the DisCos must replace the old meters with new ones immediately while ruling out the possibility of estimated billing for affected customers. “Under no circumstances shall the customer be placed on estimated billing on account of the Disco’s failure to install a replacement meter after the removal of the faulty/obsolete meter”, the statement read.