EKEDC begins 72-hour metering for customers

Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has commenced a mobile metering exercise for its customers in Festac Town, Satellite Town, Agboju and other areas under its Festac District in Lagos.

The electricity distribution company said it aimed to use the two-week on-the-spot application to speed up the metering of its customers in those areas.

Mr Godwin Idemudia, General Manager, Corporate Communications, EKEDC, on Thursday said the exercise would be done under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme.

He said the initiative was to support the existing online process of acquiring prepaid meters by customers under the MAP scheme.

Idemudia said, “We have started in Festac and we will get to our other business districts in due course.”

He urged EKEDC customers in Festac and its environs to visit the company’s district office at 23 Road, S Close in Festac Town to take advantage of this opportunity.

“Our customer service team and authorised MAP vendors – MOJEC International Ltd., are on the ground to attend to customers in their meter applications,” he said.

Also, Dr Tinuade Sanda, Managing Director, EKEDC, described metering as a major concern to the DisCo because there was the need to accurately measure the energy consumed by customers to reduce its losses.

“As much as we have made our estimated billing process to be as accurate as possible, it pales when compared to owning a prepaid meter.

“Hence, we are here with the MOJEC International Ltd. team who will be stationed here in Festac for two weeks and assist our dear customers in getting their meters installed within 72 hours of confirmation of payment.

“This is against the usual 10 working days under the MAP scheme,” Sanda said.

She also advised customers against patronising unauthorised entities for meters as Eko Disco had 10 MAP vendors approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), including MOJEC.

On her part, Ms Chantelle Abdul, Group Managing Director, MOJEC International Holdings, commended Eko Disco for a great partnership in metering electricity consumers.

She promised that her team would ensure the fulfilment of the EKEDC Mobile MAP objectives, especially the metering of customers within 72 hours after payment.

Abdul also emphasised to customers that MOJEC is against extortion by some meter installers, and encouraged them to report any installer that demands money for the installation of prepaid meters.

She advised customers against meter bypass which not only affects the effort of EKEDC but also the entire electricity industry.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NERC has approved N63,061.32 as the cost of a Single Phase Meter while a Three Phase Meter costs N117,910.69, including Value Added Tax under the MAP scheme.

Implemented in 2018 by NERC, the scheme brought about the supply and installation of prepaid meters by other parties authorised by the regulatory body.

In addition to the expected aim of closing the metering gap, the scheme is to ensure the development of independent and competitive meter service in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

It was, however, suspended following the introduction of the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) by the Federal Government and Central Bank of Nigeria in October 2020.

The scheme was recently revived by NERC after the completion of the Phase Zero of the NMMP which saw Eko Disco metering over 70,000 customers in its network. (NAN)