Power Firm Deploys 372,728 Meters in Abuja, Others

• Power Firm Deploys 372,728 Meters in Abuja, Others

A total of 372,728 meters have been deployed in the Federal Capital Territory as well as in Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger states by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company.

Of this figure, about 150,000 meters were distributed by the firm to electricity users in its franchise area in the first phase of its mass metering project.

The firm announced on Monday that it would commence the deployment of additional 222,728 meters valued at about N10bn beginning from Wednesday (tomorrow).

The Federal Government, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, National Assembly, and power users have intensified the clamour for the deployment of meters by power distribution companies.

The AEDC said it was aware of the call and that the meter deployment exercise was part of its determination to achieve 100 per cent metering of its customers to engender public confidence in its billing process.

The Managing Director, AEDC, Ernest Mupwaya, said the exercise would also complement the Meter Asset Provider Scheme that was initiated by the NERC to accelerate the metering of all power users across the country.

He said the firm was implementing the second phase of its mass metering project in partnership with the Meron Consortium, a group comprising meter manufacturers, financiers, installers as well as advisory services firms.

In May this year, the AEDC and the Meron Consortium agreed to work together for the deployment of the 222,728 prepaid meters under the second phase of the Disco’s metering project.

Mupwuya said during the meeting with the consortium in Abuja that there were many benefits associated with metering for both the Disco and its customers.

“For customers, metering gives them the assurance of fair, transparent and accurate billing and serves as a useful tool for them to manage their consumption and costs. To the AEDC, metering equips us with intelligent data to ascertain areas of energy/revenue leakages, which will strengthen our commercial vigilance activities to plug such leakages and improve our revenue collection,” he said.