The All Electricity Protection Forum, an electricity advocacy group,
has appealed to Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to reduce the cost of prepaid meters in the country.
Mr Adeola Samuel-Ilori, National Coordinator of the forum said this while speakin on Tuesday in Lagos.
Samuel-Ilori said that the call became necessary following waiver granted on meter importation by the Federal Government.
NERC had in June increased the cost of meters from N67,055 to N82,855 for three phase meters and from N36,991 to N44, 896 for single phase meters under the Meter Asset Provider(MAP) scheme.
“Now that the president has granted waiver on meter importation, we only hope it will reflect not only in high import of meters but in delivery and also hope that the price will be reviewed downward by NERC.
” All Electricity Consumers Protection Forum has the intention of writing to NERC to the effect that such review is imminent going by the reason adduced while increasing the price,” he said.
According to him, metering issue is the most important aspect of the power sector to resolve the logjam in billing and tariff.
He said reduction in the cost of metering will encourage more consumers to apply for meters in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive for mass metering to end estimated billing by the electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos).
Samuel-Ilori noted that while the directive was commendable, it might not achieve the desired objective if NERC continued to “pamper” the DisCos at the detriment of electricity consumers.
He said the DisCos had continued to flout NERC’s directive on ending estimated billing and metering of customers who have paid for meters within 10 days without sanctions.
“NERC is not doing enough in the area of monitoring compliance with their directives or orders which created hole in its resolve to protect consumers.
“It is unheard of that a regulatory body will give notice of sanction against flagrant and willful disobedience to service providers yet what they are been expected to be sanction on, they will not desist from doing it further.
