By Ajibade Adegbayibi
The Federal government has said eletricity meters will henceforth be provided and installed free of charge as the federal government has directed electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) and meter installers to henceforth provide smart meters for consumers at no cost, warning DISCOs who may wish to shortchange Nigerians to desist or face prosecution.
The federal government, speaking recently through the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, revealed that meters have been procured under the World Bank–funded Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), to improve billing and collections across the power sector. He therefore described any attempt to charge consumers for both the provision and installation of these meters as acts of illegality that are unacceptable.
With support from the World Bank-funded DISREP, the federal government aims to import a total of 3.4 million meters. Already, about one million of these have been delivered.
Full metering of consumers will enhance transparency in billings, boost consumers’ preparedness to pay and improve liquidity in the sector which will ultimately improve service delivery to the consumers.
