Power users laud CBN 6m metering plan, flay high billings

Some electricity consumers have lauded the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for its metering intervention as they kicked against high estimated billing.

Nigeria has over 10 million registered power consumers and over 6m metering gap. Through CBN funding, the federal government provided about 1m meters under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) phase zero last year and plans to soon start NMMP phase I to provide about 4m meters.

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Also, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report shows that consumer metering has risen by 6.8% in five years but there are scores of complaints on estimated billings.

For instance, this week, a coalition of community residents around Mararaba in Nasarawa State wrote protest letters to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) against the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) on alleged over 200% increase in the estimated bill.

CBN launched a N120 billion funding for the NMMP with 6m meters expected to be installed.

According to Mr Michael Okoh, the convener of the Nigeria Power Consumers Forum (NPCF), local meters will also reduce the high meter cost so far. “Meters are expensive at over N60,000 and this is due to forex and import associated cost; but with local meters, the price could drop for Nigerians.”

President, Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, Kunle Olubiyo, also backed local meter patronage by CBN, noting that installation will be faster without import delays while monitoring the entire process.

“CBN should encourage ingenious manufacturers of meters, not importers,” Olubiyo noted.

On his part, PricewaterhouseCoopers’s Partner, Energy, Utilities & Resources, Habeeb Jaiyeola, lauded the CBN metering initiative but called for strict monitoring as the DisCos will pay back in time.

Executive Director, PowerUp, Adetayo Adegbemle urged CBN to expedite the NMMP implementation process.

“If we have used two years to implement Phase zero already, which is barely a million meters, how long will it take to implement the remaining five million?”