…Jos Disco to metre CAPMI consumers within 2 weeks

By Etuka Sunday

Customers of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company Plc that paid for meters under the Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation scheme will have their meters installed within the next two weeks, the power firm has said.

It disclosed this during a customer forum organised by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

The Executive Director, Marketing, Jos Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Mr Verr Jirho, stated that the firm would have about 95,000 meters in its possession in the coming weeks and assured power consumers in the region that they would be metered once the meters arrive.

He said the Disco was aware of the plights of its customers and explained that those who had paid for meters under the CAPMI scheme would be metered first.

Jirho said, “Our commitment to you our esteemed customers is that within the next 14 days we will install the meters for those who paid under the CAPMI because we expecting about 95,000 meters soon.”

Speaking at the event, the Chairman, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, said the commission was not satisfied with the Disco, describing its inability to meter electricity consumers who paid for meters under the scheme as a breach of contract

Amadi, who was represented by the General Manager, Government and Consumer Affairs, Dr. Anthony Akah, said the commission would hold the Disco responsible for the complaints made by power consumers in the region as regards lack of meters.

He said, “We are not satisfied with your performance in terms of metering of your customers. This is a breach of contract, especially when a customer has paid for a meter under the CAPMI scheme. It is not that the meter suppliers are not forth coming. We demand a satisfactory performance from you and we want to hear that customers under CAPMI have been all metered.”

The chairman said the company must stick to the timeline given and said Discos should desist from trying to make profit from the sales of meters under the CAPMI scheme.

Amadi said, “Metering is part of the CAPEX, that is, capital expenditures. And unfortunately the distribution companies that took over these utilities are complaining that there some mitigating circumstances that are inhibiting their ability to carry out some obligations assigned them.

“Some of these obligations are like the ATC&C (Average Technical Collection and Commercial losses). And originally the one they signed in was quite low but when they took in these utilities they found out that in some cases the losses were even times two.

“Therefore their revenue profile went down to the extent that they could not meet up to pay for the energy they got. So the commission is addressing those clear issues that are prudent that needs to be adjusted. Ones we have these things adjusted, the Discos will not have any further excuse whatsoever not to live up to their obligations as agreed.”