FG Procuring Over Four Million Electricity Meters For Distribution At No Cost, NERC

The Federal Government is in process of procuring over four million electricity meters for distribution and installation under its second phase of National Mass Metering Program (NMMP}.

Already, a total of over 900,000 units of meters have so far been installed under the take-off phase of the scheme without any payment by benefitting consumers.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) made this disclosures in a statement clarifying reviewed capped cost of direct acquisition of meters from Meter Asset Providers {MAPs) by electricity consumers before the conclusion of the procurement process by the government.

According to NERC, it is pertinent to disclose the costs to the public in order to ensure that consumers are not over charged. Thus, the reviewed costs showed that Single phase increased from N44.896.17 to N58, 661.69 while three-phase increased from N82, 855.19 to N109, 684.36.

NERC’s statement in part reads: “We wish to reiterate that the National Mass Metering Program (NMMP} designed to provide all consumers of electricity with meters is a policy intervention of the Federal Government supported by CBN concessionary loans to DisCos,

“This laudable initiative is still very much on course. A total of aver 900,000 units of meters have so far been installed under the take-off phase of the scheme without any payment by benefitting consumers

” While this doesn’t cover many of the unmetered customers, we are pleased to inform electricity consumers that the next phase under which about four million (4m) units of meters would be procured from local meter manufacturers has commenced.

“We once again state that, under this National Mass Metering Program, consumers would NOT be required to pay directly for the meters.

“Pending the conclusion of the NMMP procurement processes and the commencement of manufacturing/installation, consumers may elect to acquire a meter immediately from Meter Asset Providers {MAPs).

“The regulatory framework approved by the Commission under the MAP/NMMP Regulations provide for the refund of the cost of the meter through energy credits to the customer at the time of vending,

“The recently issued notice by the Commission on the adjusted cost of meters is designed to protect consumers from arbitrary pricing by any MAP in the context of recent changes in macroeconomic parameters affecting the cost of production.”