The Nigeria Electricity Management Service Agency (NEMSA) on Monday cautioned electricity consumers to out rightly reject any meter without certification.
The agency’s Managing Director, Mr Peter Ewesor, said in Lagos that the clarification had become necessary, due to allegations made by some distribution companies.
According to him, some distribution companies have alleged that NEMSA is hindering smooth installation of pre-paid meters.
“I am calling on electricity customers to inform the agency about any meter without NEMSA’s certification.
“When this seal is not there, what you now need is to follow up and report to NEMSA, so that NEMSA can go there and find out what kind of meter it is.
“We still carry out what we call on-sight test for the meter to find out whether it meets the required accuracy and the required technical standards and specifications.
“This is in line with the metering codes the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission has put in place to guide manufacturing and supply.”
Ewesor said the exercise was aimed at checking the excesses of some Meter Assets Providers, who were in the habit of installing sub-standard meters without certification by the agency.
He said that the agency had on several instances directed the MAPs to withdraw uncertified meters from consumers.
Ewesor, who is also the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, described meters without NEMSA certification seals as fake.
He explained that meters were expected to go through required routine tests to have certification, having met environmental conditions and specifications to localise them for usage in Nigeria.
Ewesor noted that all agencies in the country must retool the way they deliver services.
He said that NEMSA had succeeded in improving on the time it takes to deliver service by 50 per cent.
According to him, the time of application for inspection to the time of certification, now takes only seven days instead of 14 days.
