CAPMI: NERC gives two weeks

By Etuka Sunday

Worried by the electricity consumers’ complaints of no supply of meters under Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)

yesterday gave two weeks ultimatum to electricity Distribution companies to meter consumers accordingly.

Speaking at NERC’s meeting with Discos and other relevant stakeholders in the industry on Aggregate Technical Commercial and Collection Losses and Customer Number Enumeration, the NERC’s Chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi said, Discos would be adequately sanctioned on failure to comply with the Commission’s directives.

“Let me assure consumers who have written to us to complain about meters under CAPMI. Many people have written to us to say that they have paid for meters under the initiative of consumer created payment for meters and they have not received the meters for the past three, four months or more than that.

“By this week we are sending letters to all the Discos. The commissioner for consumer affairs is already preparing the letters. We will give Discos two weeks to make sure they fully meter all those who have paid because the order of the commission is 45 days. And so after that two weeks, we will be conducting public hearings to ascertain whether all those who have paid for CAPMI meters have been metered.

“And the commission will view very seriously failure to meter these consumers. So I want to assure those of you writing to us with complaints that they have paid for CAPMI meters in the last three, four months that we will ensure in coming weeks that those who have not been metered are properly metered. And Discos that have not metered their consumers who paid for those meters themselves will be sanctioned,” he said.

Amadi said, “another thing I will like to say here is to always encourage consumers not just to pay their bills as at when due but also to take interest in knowing more about their Discos. So I want to encourage consumers to continuously engage with us and with their service providers. The Discos have consumer complaint centres.”

In a presentation, Senior Manager of Tarrif and Rate, NERC, Hajia Aisha Mahmud puts

the Energy Cost (EC) for Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) at N31 per kilowatt hour (kwh) after validation of it’s operational data, while Jos is N43.

She puts Abuja Technical Losses at 13.6%, while Jos is 12%; Commercial Losses of Abuja was 17.3%, while Jos was 14%, and Commercial Losses of Abuja at 13.89%, while Jos 32.74% respectively.

On Revenue Shortfall, she said, Discos were directed to CBN’s Intervention Fund since tariff increment without commensurate electricity supply may meet stiff opposition from the consumers.

In his response on metering, the Managing Director of AEDC, Mr Neil Croucher said that the company has no intention not to supply meters, adding, that the company has in its plans to supply 100, 000 meters

annually. Mr Croucher disclosed that a total of 7000 meters had so far been distributed under CAPMI and 3000 would soon be added under the same scheme, saying that customers would be willing to pay for electricity if quality service was provided.