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Tag: meters

  • 3.2m meters underway to boost metering

    3.2m meters underway to boost metering

    Federal Government is set to receive the first batch of 3,205,101meters procured to bridge the metering gap in the country. 

    A statement by Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser, Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, yesterday said 75,000 meters under the International Competitive Bid 1 (ICB1) is expected by April 2025, followed by the second batch of 200,000 meters in May 2025.

    Report by a  national newspaper on metering in the Nigeria Electricity Sector had portrayed an industry in crisis, thus presenting a narrative that overlooks significant progress in bridging the metering gap, the statement said.

    “While challenges persist, the facts tell a more balanced story – one of sustained effort, financial commitment, and structured implementation plans by the Federal Government of Nigeria to close the metering gap”, according to Tunji.

    “Despite claims of stagnation, metering installations have been progressing steadily. As of December 2024, a total of 5,502,460 customers had been metered, representing about 55 percent of the 10,114,060 active electricity customers in Nigeria. In 2024 alone, 572,050 meters were installed. While the government acknowledges the existing metering gap, it is actively working to close it as quickly as possible. However, the fact remains that a sizeable portion of active electricity users already have meters, countering the exaggerated portrayal of an industry in crisis”.

    According to the statement, though installation rates have varied over the years, the sector maintains a yearly average of about 668,000 meters installed. Additionally, structured financing and government-backed initiatives are expected to accelerate deployment beyond the current pace, ensuring that the metering gap is addressed efficiently.

    “To bridge this gap, the government has put in place key initiatives aimed at significantly improving metering across the country.” The Distribution Sector Recovery Program (DISREP) is set to deliver 3,205,101 meters by 2026.”

    Read Also: Food prices drop, ease cost of living

     This will be achieved through different procurement models, including 1,437,501 meters through International Competitive Bid 1 (ICB1), 217,600 meters through National Competitive Bid (NCB), and 1,550,000 meters through International Competitive Bid 2 (ICB2). As part of this plan, the first batch of 75,000 meters under ICB1 is expected by April 2025, followed by the second batch of 200,000 meters in May 2025.

    “In addition to the DISREP, the ₦700 billion Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) is another key intervention designed to accelerate metering. The initiative, which has already secured ₦700 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), is structured to ensure large-scale meter procurement and deployment. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been established to oversee the implementation of the initiative. The government has set a target of deploying two million meters annually for five years, with the tender for the first batch of two million meters expected to be released by the third quarter of 2025. These structured interventions provide a clear roadmap for addressing the metering gap in an effective and sustainable manner”.

    The statement reveals further that, “while  the metering gap remains a concern, the notion that it will take over a decade to resolve is misleading. With the ongoing DISREP and PMI initiatives, Nigeria’s metering landscape is set to experience significant improvement before the end of the year. The focus should be on the execution of these well-structured plans rather than a blanket critique that overlooks the real progress being made

  • Two million meters for consumers on estimated billing

    Two million meters for consumers on estimated billing

    • 45.43% of registered customers metered

    The Federal Government intends to purchase and distribute two million pre-paid meters to electricity users on estimated billings before the end of quarter one next year.

    It said the two million is the first batch of the 10 million meters that would be distributed nationwide in the next five years under the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) to end estimated bills imposed by electricity distribution companies(DisCos).  

    Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu made this known before the inauguration of  Mobile Power Substations in Oyo and Ogun states.

    Adelabu said “An estimated billing system is ripping off consumers hence the reason the Federal Government through the Ministry of Power is purchasing 10 million pre-paid meters to be distributed across the Country.

     “Out of this figure, two million pre-paid meters will be distributed before the end of the first quarter in 2025.’’

    Adelabu, however, warned consumers being bombarded with estimated bills by the DisCos to avoid the temptation of by-passing electric cables.

    He said that the Bola Tinubu administration was working towards ensuring an uninterrupted power supply across the country but needed the cooperation of consumers.

    The minister said: “While the Federal government is doing everything to make the country habitable for the people, the customers should desist from their idea of by-passing connection.

    “Also, people should desist from vandalising and stealing electricity cables. The government, apart from  spending fortunes to replace stolen equipment,   is doing everything possible to ensure regular electricity power supply nationwide.”

     On the rising cost of power supply, the minister argued that it was not peculiar to Nigeria. He assured that the government was also doing everything possible to ease the burden through renewable energy.

    He added: “The renewable energy programme of the Federal Government is aimed at easing the burden of the rising cost of energy.

    “The rising cost of energy is taking a toll not only on the households but our institutions of learning.

    “The government has concluded a plan to deploy Alternative Renewable Energy Grid and Solar Energy Grid to the universities, teaching hospitals and research institutes nationwide.”

    As of  June, only 5,993,340 (45.43 percent) out of the 13,192,573 registered electricity customers had been metered.

    Read Also: Ondo 2024: Gov Aiyedatiwa to distribute 2000meters to riverine communities

    Earlier this year, Bolaji Tunji, special adviser on Strategic Communications and Media to the Power Minister said the Federal Government planned to distribute meters to electricity customers under  PMI.

    He explained that through the PMI, the government intends to close the metering gap as well as put an end to estimated billing.   

    Tunji had said: “The government is working with the local manufacturers because the minister, in recent months, had to inspect the local manufacturers to be sure they could deliver on the project. So we expect meters from the local manufacturers.’’

    He also explained that plans to roll out 3.2 million meters under the World Bank Distribution Sector Reform Program (DISREP) were on course and that its implementation was expected this month.

    In October,  Adelabu announced that the government had procured 1.3 million meters under the DISREP initiative. He added that Nigeria would receive 1.3 million meters between December 2024 and the second quarter of next year.

  • DisCo risks Fed Govt agencies’ sanctions over meters change

    DisCo risks Fed Govt agencies’ sanctions over meters change

    • Stay action, FCCPC, NERC insist
    • ‘Consumers should not pay for replaced meters’

    Some Federal Government agencies have drawn a battle line with one of the two Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) in Lagos – Ikeja Electric (IE).

    The DisCo is pushing ahead with the plan to make its consumers pay for replacement of their ‘obsolete’ meters.

    It has given a deadline of Thursday (November 14) for the meters to be replaced or the consumers will be unable to recharge.

    The other Disco in Lagos, the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), which initially asked its consumers to pay for the replacement of meters, backed down.

    It gave them the option of upgrading their meters.

    In an advisory, the EKEDC said: “Dear Valued Customer, Upgrade your meter to STS 2 for free! Visit kctcheck.ekedp.com, enter your meter details and click search to receive your 2 sets of 20-digit KCTS. Input them to complete the upgrade.”

    At a stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja last week, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) told the DisCo to pull the brake.

    But it was learnt that it insisted on forging ahead with the plan.

    Yesterday, FCCPC reiterated the warning to the DisCo that consumers must be protected.

    It was also learnt that the NERC had written to the DisCo, drawing it attention to sections of the law and regulations it must obey in replacement of meters.

    FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Mr. Tunji Bello, in a statement yesterday said: “FCCPC has urged electric distribution companies (DISCOs) to carry energy consumers along before classifying them into bands and also adhere strictly to industry regulations on billing unmetered consumers.

    “The systemic inefficiencies and a culture of impunity among some service providers have intensified these issues, leading to the routine exploitation of consumers.

    “The practices that require consumers to pay upfront for meters without reimbursement, is a direct violation of the NERC Meter Asset Provider and the National Mass Metering Regulations 2021 should be halted.

    “DisCos should stop placing consumers with faulty meters on estimated billing. This is prohibited under NERC’s regulations.”

    Bello cited a complaint received by the FCCPC from an IE customer, who expressed frustration at being asked to replace a functioning meter at a significant personal cost.

    Bello said the FCCPC is committed to enhancing consumer education on metering and billing practices to guard against potential exploitation by service providers.

    He applauded the collaborative efforts of NERC and Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) in building a transparent, accountable and consumer-centered electricity sector.

    Bello reaffirmed FCCPC’s dedication to enforcing all relevant consumer protection laws within the electricity industry to uphold consumer rights and promote fair market practices.

    The FCCPC’s directive to discontinue the replacement process stems from the DisCos’ non-compliance with NERC’s “Order on Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete End-user Customer Meters in the Nigerian electricity Supply Industry.”

    Read Also: DisCos insist consumers must pay for meters replacement

    The NERC’s Order mandates DisCos to prioritise metering for unmetered customers under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) and follow strict guidelines for replacing faulty or obsolete meters.

    The guidelines require DisCos to inspect faulty meters and provide detailed information in the replacement notice, including the inspection date, the inspecting officer’s credentials, the identified fault, and the scheduled replacement date.

    Furthermore, DisCos are prohibited from placing customers on estimated billing due to delays in meter replacement, as new meters must be installed immediately upon removing any faulty or obsolete unit.

    A few weeks ago, the IE sent a note to it consumers, saying: “All Unistar Meters will be phased out by 14th November 2024, as TID rollover beckons. Apply for a prepaid meter today to avoid estimated billing.”

  • Meters coming for consumers

    THERE is hope for electricity consumers to get meters as Metering Solution Manufacturing Service Limited(MSMSL) has offered to assist other meter asset providers (MAPs).

    The development, follows the inability of the Meter Assets Providers(MAP) recently approved by the Federal Government to get enough meters for consumers, that were under their jurisdictions.

    In line with the MAPs regulation issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission(NERC), MAPs are expected to partner the 11 power distribution companies (DisCos) to ensure seamless distribution to the consumers.

    Also, the regulations stated that MAPs must meet at least 30 per cent local content in meter supplies, an issue that has become a challenge in the sector.

    Signing a metering agreement with the Eko Electricity Distribution Company(EKEDC) in Lagos, a firm, Metering Solution ManufacturingService Limited(MSMSL), offered to end the metering problem in the country.

    Armese Power Solutions Chief Executive Officer Aslam Khorkar said the firm will plunge the gap in the production and supply of meters.

    Khorkar said: “ Our manufacturing subsidiary operating as Metering Manufacturing Solutions Manufaturing Service Limited(MSMSL) has the capacity to produce three million meters yearly on a multi-shift pattern.

  • Fed Govt advises NEMSA on meters, transformers

    The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing yesterday directed the Nigeria Electricity Management Service Agency (NEMSA) to encourage the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to provide innovative meters to their customers.

    It urged the DisCos to go beyond the former ways of providing meters, stressing that there must meters that meet the present day technical reality.

    The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Louis Edozein, who represented the Minister, Babatunde Fashola at the second NEMSA stakeholders forum in Abuja, said power generation and transmission had improved significantly but the distribution chain of the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry was yet to meet up with the available capacities.

    He urged the DisCos to accelerate the roll out of meters to their customers, who were already agitating against crazy estimated billings owing to lack of meters.

    According to him, the ministry and the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission  (NERC) promulgated the Meter Assets Provider (MAP) regulation to tackle the challenges of metering.

    The last census that the commission conducted, according to him, showed that there were over 12million consumers in the industry, and most of them had no meters.

    He said: “There are two shortcomings that we have observed. The first one is meters, I am sure we all know that customers all over the country are agitating because when they get bills and it is not measured. This is why the ministry has been questioning the DisCos. Please accelerate your meter roll out.

    “That is why the ministry worked with the regulator to promulgate the MAP Regulation in order to meter the consumers in the market.”

    According to him, there were new technology of quickly rolling out meters.

    Fashola said: “NEMSA, this is where you have to be more creative and innovative. There are new technologies emerging for roll out of 33Kv infrastructure, and 11Kv infrastructure cheaper. There are new storage technologies; the utilisation of capacitors. I want to challenge NEMSA, encourage the operators… to innovate, create, that is the way you will grow this industry and satisfy our customers better.”

    Earlier, the NEMSA Managing Director, Engr. Peter Ewesor, said what contributed to poor power supply and electric accidents in the country included the poor state of distribution network.

     

  • ‘Why meters reject low voltage’

    The Managing Director, Nigeria Electricity Management Service (NEMSA), Peter Ewesor, yesterday explained why some electricity meters reject low voltage.

    Ewesor, who is the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, said the meters were programmed to reject low current to avoid damage to the appliances the current is supposed to power.

    Speaking on Service and Safety Half Hour on Radio Nigeria, he said such meters were functioning in accordance with their programming, saying the meters were set to trip off automatically when the power supply was no longer good for consumption.

    He described the measure as a safely device that the manufacturers adopted to secure the lives and property of consumers

    His words: “What is happening is the proper thing and it shows that the meter is working effectively to cut you off when the power supply is no longer good enough.

    “When the voltage is very low, you are actually going to have more current and then your meter cannot support it. It is not even able to drive the load and service in your house. So the meter has been made such that if the voltage goes below a certain level, rather than continue to create heat and cause problem in your applicances, it will cut you off. It is a safety device.”

    “If the voltage becomes so low, the meter is manufactured and set to a minimum level to which it can no longer read.  So, definitely it has to go off so that it makes sure that you are not using bad power and you are paying for it.

    He warned power consumers not to tamper with their meters when they reject low Voltage, adding that “you should not touch the meter unless you know how to do it and you are authorised to do so because you could get yourself electrocuted.”

    He said that in order to prevent the consumers from tempering with the meters, the electricity distribution companies could change the meter or its code.

    According to him, “once the seal there is tampered, they (DisCos) will know that it has been tampered.”

  • DisCos deploy more meters

    To improve earnings and operational efficiency, power distribution companies (DisCos) are deploying Maximum Demand Meters (MDMs) in manufacturing, steel and fabrication, maritime and other companies in the high-end bracket of the metering industry, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), Peter Ewesor, has said.

    Maximum Demand Meters are used by industries because of huge load consumption, while Lower Demand Meters are used by residential and some commercial consumers.

    In a telephone interview with The Nation,  Ewesor said it was evident in the increase in number of Maximum Demand Meters submitted to the National Meter Test Station (NMTS) across the country.

    NMTS is a department approved by the Federal Government to test meters, which DisCos deploy to consumers.

    He said the number of such meters distributed by the DisCos to companies have witnessed an unprecedented growth, adding that the idea would help the power firms to reduce collection losses caused by non-payment of tariffs by consumers.

    Ewesor said: “The patronage for Maximum Demand Meters by bigger firms has increased by 100 per cent from 50 per cent or 60 per cent in recent times. The reason is because the DisCos are seeking improvement in earnings, which happened to be the major means of shoring up their revenues.”

    According to Ewezor, who is also the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, individuals are within the  lower end consumers bracket because they use less volume of electricity and as a result of tariffs that are lower to those that are being paid by factories and other high-end income consumers.

    He said most of the eleven DisCos have submitted Maximum Demand Meters to NMTS for testing in line with the directives of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

    Also, MOMAS Nigeria Limited Chairman, Mr Kola Balogun, has urged power firms to leverage the maximum demand meters to make money for growth. MOMAS is one of the few indigenous manufacturers approved by the Federal Government.

     

     

     

  • Ikeja Electric, Mojec seal N570m meters deal

    Ikeja Electric, Mojec seal N570m meters deal

    Ikeja Electric (IE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mojec International Limited, a local meter manufacturer, for the supply of 2,055 distribution transformers (DT) meters worth about N570 million.

    The agreement signing ceremony took place in Lagos yesterday at the head office of Ikeja Electric in Ikeja, Lagos. The Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ikeja Electric, Mr. Anthony Youdeowei, was represented by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, Olubunmi Olukoju.

    Olukoju said the investment was a further demonstration of Ikeja Electric’s commitment to a turnaround in the experience of the customers. She said: “Energy accountability has been a major bane in Nigeria’s energy sector. It is therefore necessary that we continue to invest and commit resources to improve our capacity to meter, correctly and fairly, the consumption patterns of as many customers as we can.”

  • Community insists on pre-paid meters or no payment

    Residents of Okunola community in Mosan/Okunola Local Council Development Area of Lagos State have vowed to resist outrageous electricity bills and called on the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, (IKEDC), to provide them pre-paid meters without delay.

    Speaking through the Duro-Olaleru Crescent Community Youth Development Association, the residents said outrageous bills were slammed on them without regular power supply.

    A community leader, Mr. Joshua Faboye said the community needs pre-paid meters and constant electricity supply, adding that some tenants had packed out of his house because of power failure and crazy bills leaving him with no choice other than to use rent collected from new tenants to pay outstanding bill.

    He said: ” When they were charging us about N750 for electricity consumed the Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, warned the electricity distribution companies not to issue bills to consumers if pre-paid meters were not installed, but IKEDC did not obey the instruction.’’

    Faboye lamented that the exorbitant bill has negatively affected businesses and social lives of the people living in the area.

    “I am a retiree, all the money I generated from my house I give it to IKEDC because tenants will pack out. Immediately they pack out the new tenant rents will be used to pay IEC bill. If they don’t give us pre-paid meters, they should not to give us bill.

    Another member of the community, Mr Olu Toyin complained that the IKEDC gave preferences to a nearby community.

    “Ever since the company was privatized we have not been seeing the best of them. Where I live, IKEDC distributed pre-paid meters from Iyana Ipaja, Egbeda and Alabata Streets. They stopped there to jump to Okunola and moved to Abule Odu to distribute the meters. We have gone to their office to complain all to no avail.

    “They bring crazy bills like N20,000 and N50,000. There is even a  house that is owing up to N1,000,000 which I think is impossible and because they are not running any factory there. In my house, I paid a sum of N10,000 every month, we are pleading to them to bring the pre-paid meter so we can pay for what we are consuming.

    The spokesman of IKEDC, Felix Ofolue however said the affected consumers have not been abandoned saying: “We have not abandoned them. Everyone knows the current economic situation of the country and harsh business environment which has also affected not just IKEDC but other electricity distribution companies across the country. Even if we have the resources to procure pre-paid meters, we still have to factor in the cost of engaging technical personnel to install them. In spite of the challenges, we have been installing the meters in phases and as we speak, we have installed the meters in places like Idimu and Government Reservation Area (G.R.A) in Ikeja. The residents of the affected community should exercise patience and we shall get to their area soon.

    ‘Concerning the issue of crazy bills, we have a way of monitoring power supply and consumption and this we do by installing a metering device inside transformers in several communities. Through this, we are able to monitor the consumption of power supplied and bill consumers.The only challenge we are having is that of electricity thieves which has rubbed off on genuine consumers. To this end, I want to urge residents to be vigilant and expose those who are stealing electricity, not for prosecution but to ensure that they are properly billed.’’

  • Eko DisCo meters industrial customers

    Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc (EKEDC) said it has metered all maximum demand (MD) customers within its network in line with the directive of the regulatory body, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

    Maximum demand customers are huge electricity consumers such as industrial and some commercial concerns. Distribution companies realise substantial part of their revenues from these customers.

    EKEDC Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Sam Nwaire, who disclosed this during a Town Hall meeting held recently  with customers at the Agbara/ Badagry Business District Area in Lagos, said the firm has metered 6,834 MD customers within its network.

    The NERC on June 11 directed all electricity distribution companies to meter the MD customers and directed all MD customers that  have no meters to stop paying estimated bills.

    Nwaire said the company had completed metering all its MD customers since March 31 within the stipulated time frame. He said the company had metered about 50 per cent residential customers, adding that the company will meet its five-year metering plan when all categories of customers must have been metered.

    He confirmed that residential consumers were not included in the directive issued by the NERC on no meter no payment directive. According to him, the clarification was necessary because some customers claimed that NERC directed all consumers yet to be metered to stop paying electricity bills.

    He said: “We are happy to report that our maximum demand customers have been provided with meters as directed by NERC and are no longer billed by estimation. While we are making concerted efforts to provide meters for all our customers, we will continue to ensure the integrity of our bills and do everything within our mandate to comply with all NERC directives.

    “We, therefore, urge our non-MD customers to please avail themselves of the content of the directive and be rightly guided. Consumers should not misinterpret it to avoid paying for electricity already consumed.”

    Nwaire promised that all unmetered customers would be reached within the stipulated time, noting that it was not possible for all customers to be metered at the sametime because of the huge cost involved. He urged those yet to be reached in the meter roll-out to exercise patience, adding that no customer would be left out at the end.

    He also said Eko DisCo has an established billing methodology approved by the industry regulator for billing unmetered customers, based on a number of factors, which include the customers’ consumption pattern over time and availability of power supply within the particular month for which the customers were billed.

    The EKEDC boss urged communities to be vigilant and guard against activities of vandals in their areas. He said the company would work  with the police to ensure that the suspects and others are duly prosecuted in court.

    Nwaire said the company was only able to recover N4.8 billion out of N6.3 billion owed by customers for the month of May, adding that customers are yet to pay over N1.5 billion, which was part of the electricity consumed in May 2017.