One Million Nigerians Have Received Prepaid Meters – NERC

Prepaid meters

The National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said that over one million Nigerians have received prepaid meters.

The Commission said that the electricity distribution companies have metered 1,092,399 customers under the Meter Assets Provider (MAP) scheme and the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).

All Electricity Consumer Protection Forum (AECPF) had in a freedom of information (FOI) application signed by its national coordinator, Adeola Samuel-Ilori, asked NERC to provide data on the number of meters distributed so far by the DisCos under the programmes.

In response to this request, NERC has said that over 1million Nigerians have received prepaid meters.

The NERC also said that the DisCo have metered 508,439 customers so far under the MAP scheme that was signed on October 30, 2020 with a target of 6million meters by 2023.

The regulatory agency noted that 583,960 meters had been distributed under the MAP scheme, adding that 5,855 customers who had paid for prepaid meters were yet to get their meters.

However, Samuel-Ilori said the AECPF had conducted a survey on customers who paid under the MAP scheme and were yet to get their meters, pointing out that the number was higher than the figures released by NERC.

He said that the group would soon send FOI request to the various DisCos to get the detailed breakdown.

“It is necessary to have this data by our group to help fulfill one of the cardinal objectives, which includes monitoring the activities of power sector stakeholders as they affect the consumers,” Samuel-Ilori said.

Recall that Prime Business Africa had recently reported on the lamentation of Ikorodu residents over outrageous and double billing of electricity by the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC).

The Chairman of Ereko CDA under the Itaoluwo area had said that only about 50 out of 500 houses in his community were metered, lamenting that even those whose houses were metered got their meters through stressful and costly means.

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