TheCable

Electricity distribution companies (DisCos) say they are working to fulfil their metering obligations to consumers with minimal power consumption in a bid to phase out estimated billing.

The DisCos made this assurance in a statement signed by Azu Obiaya, chief executive officer of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED).

They said that their metering targets, which was captured in the performance agreements signed with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) when they took over the distribution companies, are being followed through and should result in all classes of consumers getting meters.

According to the statement, residential customers that are yet to be metered should continue paying their estimated bills as the stoppage of estimated billing only affects maximum demand (MD) customers.

The distribution companies noted that the threshold consumption for MD customers was 45KVA and that they mostly have dedicated transformers.

“While we continue to operate with the estimated billing methodology that is approved and mandated by the NERC, we are working diligently towards addressing the metering obligations specified under our performance agreements with the BPE, and ensuring that we continue to be sensitive and responsive to the inadvertent challenges of estimated billing that our residential or non-MD customers are faced with,” the statement read.

“It is important that we state that there is no more interested party in the comprehensive metering of our electricity consumers than the Discos. It is our hope and expectation that such metering will be achieved sooner rather than later.

“The NERC directive only applies to MD customers and not residential customers. NERC has made the clarification as well.”