TheCable

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) says it needs N90 billion to provide prepaid meters to its customers.

Speaking on estimated billing at a stakeholders dialogue on corruption organised by ActionAid Nigeria in Enugu, Chukwuemeka Ezeh, EEDC’s head of communications, said it has already provided 300,000 prepaid meters to its customers.

The electricity distribution company (DisCo) had announced that it would start the distribution of prepaid meters in the south-east from June 15.

The DisCo serves Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi and Abia states.

“Crazy bills, estimated bills. This is also one of the things that we inherited. Before now, customers were billed on estimation,” Ezeh said.

“It was the responsibility of the then PHCN to capture buildings, properties for metering but this was neglected. We took over November 2013 and metering our customer was part of the responsibilities we were saddled with. We took it up.

“We might not have metered 100% but I can tell you that 300,000 customers were brought to our prepaid meters platform. It’s a very big and capital intensive responsibility.

“By estimation, we need close to N90 billion to meter all our customers. These are the customers we already have their data.”

On April 3, 2018, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) introduced the MAP regulation to close the huge metering gap in the country and end estimated billing.