Ikeja Electric Plc (IE) has commenced the distribution of prepaid meters to 106, 000 customers under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) approved by the Federal Government.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of IE, Mrs. Folake Soetan, made this known at the flagging off of the programme in Ikeja.
Soetan said that the programme was part of the Federal Government’s effort to further bridge the country’s metering gap, and also cushion the effect of the Service Reflective Tariff on electricity consumers in Nigeria.
She said: “In line with this programme, IE is committed to driving the roll out through a series of one-day metering initiative across different locations in its network.
“This metering initiative is designed to ensure a seamless metering process that allows customers to register and be metered on the same day after following due process.
Soetan submitted that Ikeja Electric is rolling out over 106,000 prepaid meters to customers across its six Business Units – Ikeja, Abule-Egba, Akowonjo, Oshodi, Ikorodu and Shomolu.
She said that this was for the first phase of the programme, which would run till the end of 2020. Beneficiaries of this programme, which will cut across all locations in IE network, will not be required to pay upfront for the installation of meters.
Soetan was of the view that the modalities of cost recovery for the meters would be clearly defined and communicated to the beneficiaries.
“The primary objective of the NMMP is to increase the metering rate in the country and close the gap of unmetered customers. It is also expected that it will assist in reducing collection losses, while at the same time, increasing financial flows to achieve 100 per cent market remittance obligation of the DisCos.”
IE boss noted that part of the objectives also include: the elimination of arbitrary estimated billing, improving network monitoring capability and provision of data for market administration and investment decision-making.
Soetan said apart from its job’s creation potential in the meter value chain, the programme would increase local meter manufacturing, assembly and deployment capacity, all in support of the Nigeria’s economic recovery plan.
She reiterated the DisCos’ commitment to bridging the metering gap by metering all its customers to ensure an efficiently managed electricity supply industry that meets the yearnings of Nigerians.
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