The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said that 45 percent of customers have been provided meters by the electricity distribution companies (DisCos).
In the regulator’s third quarter report for 2018, it said metering gap for end-use customers still remains a key challenge facing the electricity industry as the records of the Commission indicate that, of the 8,310,408 registered electricity customers, only 3,704,302 (about 45%) have been metered as at the end of the third quarter of 2018.
“Thus, the majority of customers (~ 55%) are still on estimated billing thus contributing to customer apathy towards payment for electricity,” NERC said.
Metering is a key issue for electricity customers in Nigeria who accuse the DisCos of denying them meters so that they inflict fraudulent billings on them for electricity consumption. In third quarter of 2018, the eleven DisCos received a total of 128,791 complaints from consumers and metering and billing issues accounted for 68,749 or 53 percent of total complaints according to NERC.
However, the in comparison to the second quarter of 2018, the population of registered customers increased by 4.2% while the metered customers increased by a relatively higher proportion of 4.4%.
NERC said the observed increase in registered customers was a consequence of the on-going enumeration exercise by DisCos, which has helped DisCos to properly register individuals who had previously consumed electricity through illegal connection to the networks.
It also found that only Abuja, Benin and Port Harcourt DisCos had metered more than 50% of their customers as at the end of September 2018.
The Commission said it is intensifying its monitoring of DisCos’ implementation of and compliance to the provisions of the MAP regulations in order to fast-track meter roll-out and close the metering gap in NESI within three (3) years.
While not rejecting the MAP regulation, the DisCos have adopted a wait and see attitude towards the regulation. Local meter manufacturers have said the DisCos have not kicked against the regulation but they have not exactly showed excitement.
