Kaduna Electricity Distribution PLC has signed an agreement with three companies, Messrs. Marks & Adams Investment limited, Electricity Meter Company of Nigeria (EMCON), and Holley Meters Ltd to supply two hundred thousand pre-paid meters to its customers across the four states of operations. The project will cost $45m (N14.1bn).
In separate ceremonies held at the Head Office of the Company in Kaduna yesterday, the Managing Director/CEO of Kaduna Electric, Engineer Garba Haruna, disclosed that the three companies shall supply 100,000 meters in the first tranche with a 90 days delivery time while the second tranche will see to the delivery of additional 100,000 meters.
He revealed that Kaduna Electric entered into the vendor financed agreement with the three companies to help bridge the huge metering gap inherited by the DisCo. The effort is one of our various initiatives of boosting customer confidence and satisfaction.
According to him: “Beside being one of the KPIs for distribution licensees, we in Kaduna Electric consider effective metering of our customers as an obligation and an integral part of our business plan. It is one of our top priorities and we hope that the three companies will be part of the success story.” He charged the meters manufactures and vendors to live up to the terms of the contract and ensure that all meters to be supplied meet the industry’s international standard and the specifications of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC and the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, NEMSA.
“The report received so far from the customers’ enumeration and asset mapping exercise we started last year indicated that we have a potential for four million customers in our franchise area which covers Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States. As such, 200,000 meters is just the starting point. There is opportunity for long-term business relationship. I therefore urge you to comply with the terms of the agreement and ensure that all meters to be supplied meet international standard and the specifications of the regulators,” he stated.
Haruna also revealed that other projects which compliment metering such as new billing system, injection substation automation, AMR on MD customers, software applications developed for monitoring and efficient service delivery will soon be commissioned. These other value-added benefits that will accrue to the nation’s economy to include “provision of direct and indirect employment to our teaming youths who shall be engaged as installers and the development of indigenous technology”.
Haruna appealed to the prospective beneficiaries of the meter and all customers of the company to protect the integrity of the meters by avoiding tampering and any form of bypass. He also urged customers to cooperate with installers and its personnel in the course of the metering projects.
In separate remarks, the Chairman of Marks and Adams Limited, Prince Mark Elayo; the Managing Director/CEO of EMCON, Engineer Shehu Karaye and the Executive Vice President/CEO of Holley Metering Nigeria Limited, Mr. Ifeanyi Okeke promised to justify the confidence reposed on them.
This initiative by the DisCo, could not have come at a more appropriate time given the widespread outcry for effective energy accounting and management. It shall also provide the DisCo alternative source of financing for its capital projects, while at the same time supporting indigenous companies to expand their production capacities.
It is expected that the programme when completed shall effectively close the current metering gap of the company.
It will be recalled in November last year, the company rolled out mass metering at Sokoto, where Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Babatunde Fashola launched the programme that saw the deployment over 50,000 smart pre-paid meters in three out of four states that make up the franchise area of the company.
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