Chineme Okafor in Abuja
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has disclosed that it invested N11 billion in installing 178,000 meters for its customers in Abuja, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger states, between 2014 and 2018.
The distribution company (Disco) also said in a statement from its head of corporate communications, Oyebode Fadipe, that it hit a 50,000-meter installation milestone within six months of starting the Meter Assets Providers (MAP) regulation which the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) initiated.
Giving a breakdown of its metering investments from the privatisation period up to 2018, and the MAP metering figure, the Disco explained that N1.7 billion was spent to procure 7,000 maximum demand and distribution transformer meters during the period, adding that 4,460 of them have so far been installed.
“Meters worth N3.634 billion were installed in AEDC’s franchise area between 2014 and 2016 under the Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI), a regulation developed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
“After CAPMI was wound off at the instance of NERC, AEDC continued its obligation of providing meter for its customers to address the complaints of overbilling through the estimated billing methodology provided to Discos by NERC.
“The Disco invested N7.339 billion on metering from 2016 to 2017. The management of AEDC spent N10.742 billion on meters from 2014 to 2018 to demonstrate its investment focus and its capacity to turnaround the privatised power utility and give our customers the best experience and value for their money,” the statement noted.
It stated that with its unique MAP instant metering train strategy where it deployed its officials and information technology resources to support the three MAP firms to provide instant meters to willing customers, it reached an approximate 50,000-meter installation milestone in November 2019.
“AEDC rolled out its mass metering scheme under MAP regulation after NERC approved three MAP firms to work with the Disco in May 2019.
“Mojec International is metering AEDC customers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Kogi; Turbo Energy is installing meters for AEDC customers in Niger state and Meron Company is installing meters for the customers in Nasarawa state,” it further explained.
According to the statement, out of the verified 54,214 meter applications from customers under MAP, 49,285 meters have been installed and connected.
“AEDC has installed 42,560 meters in the FCT alone. It installed 11,208 meters in FCT West; 10,604 units in FCT South, and another 10,419 in FCT East. 6,256 meters were installed in FCT North and 4,073 units in FCT Central.
“In Niger state, the Disco has installed 2,615 meters. Another 2,607 meters have been installed in Nasarawa State, and 1,503 units were installed in Kogi State,” it said.
