The
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on Tuesday gave the 11
electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) 120 days to engage the services of
the newly introduced Meter Asset Provider (MAP) to bridge the metering gap in
the country’s power sector.
In 2016, NERC said barely three million
electricity customers, or 45 per cent of the 7.47 million nationwide have
access to pre-paid meters.
The data showed a consumer metering gap of
almost five million, which the government and the DISCOs have been struggling
to meet without success.
Part of the industry efforts to bridge the
metering gap was the introduction of a new meter intervention programme called,
‘Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation’ (CAPMI) by the
electricity sector regulator in 2012.
Under the CAPMI scheme, customers were expected
to self-finance the meter, with the meter cost repaid over a period from their
energy charge at 12 percent interest rate per annum.
But, the arrangement appeared not to yield much
dividend as most electricity consumers who paid for the meters have to wait for
several years without the delivery of their meters by the DISCOs.
NERC said in a ‘Fact Sheet’ obtained by Premium
Times on Tuesday the latest MAP arrangement, which would become effective on
April 3 would provide a final solution to the meter supply needs of electricity
consumers.
“That is why NERC has given electricity
distribution companies 120 days to engage the MAP service to achieve the 3-year
metering targets prescribed by the Commission,” spokesperson of NERC, Usman
Arabi, told Premium Times.
“The MAP Regulations will eliminate estimated
billing and its attendant challenges in the Nigerian Electricity Supply
Industry within three years,” Mr Arabi said.
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