Chairman, NERC, Dr Sam Amadi
Indications have emerged that the
Federal Government will enforce the Credited Advance Payment for
Metering Implementation initiated by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory
Commission to close the metering gap and curb ‘crazy billing’ in the
power sector.
The NERC Chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi, told
our correspondent on Tuesday that CAPMI would continue to operate even
if the DISCOs decided to initiate their own metering programme.
Amadi said, “CAPMI operates until a
DISCO starts implementing its own metering plan. CAPMI operates until a
DISCO provides a better plan. NERC is an effective regulator. Our plan
is to increase our effectiveness and smartness. We will encourage where
necessary and sanction when needed. We will bark and bite and also speak
softly when necessary. Our focus is to protect the public interest and
not grandstand.”
The PUNCH on Friday reported that
the new investors, who took over the distribution companies formerly
owned by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, had jettisoned the CAPMI
scheme initiated by NERC,
the power industry regulator of the 10
distribution companies in the country. Only Ikeja and Eko electricity
distribution companies have begun the CAPMI scheme as a response to
customers’ complaints about estimated billing.
But our correspondent learnt that the
Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, owned by NEDC/Kepco Consortium,
had suspended the prepaid meter scheme, while its Eko counterpart was no
longer keen about the scheme.
Its chances of survival at the Eko Distribution Company, according to sources, remain very slim.
The CAPMI scheme was designed by the NERC to fill the metering gap as contained in the Multi-Year Tariff Order II.
The scheme came about due to the slow pace of customer metering by the distribution companies.
It provides a platform for willing
customers to pay the cost of the meter into a dedicated account jointly
managed by the DISCO and the meter vendor/installer.
Once the payment has been effected, NERC
said the customer would have their meter installed within 45 days, by a
NERC accredited vendor/installer.
The acting Chief Executive Officer,
Ikeja DISCO, Mr. Abiodun Ajifowobaje, had, during the inauguration of
the scheme, promised that electricity customers would get the prepaid
meters within 45 days.
According to him, customers who pay
N25,000 for a single phase or N50,000 for a double-phase meter are
expected to get their meters within 48 hours or a maximum of 45 days.
The Federal Government has said it will
through the Bureau of Public Enterprises and NERC, continuously monitor
the new power investors to ensure that they do what they are obligated
to do. This includes bringing in the required investment and addressing
customers’ complaints such as efficient metering that will curb ‘crazy
billing’.
Analysts, however, said the last had not been heard about the CAPMI scheme.
At the introduction of the scheme in March 2013, the NERC chairman had noted that CAPMI would eliminate estimated billing.
The commission has also accredited a number of local prepaid manufacturers/vendors and installers to implement the scheme.
Pursuant to the order signed by the NERC
on May 14, 2013, and the process ‘No objection’ granted by the Bureau
of Public Procurement for the procurement of electric meters, the
commission said it had accredited nine prepaid meter manufacturers and
15 importers to implement the metering scheme.
In addition to the list of manufacturers
and importers, NERC said it had also accredited 38 vendors, 11
individual installers and 61 corporate installers.
Six of the certified meter
manufacturers/vendors/installers, who entered into an agreement with the
Ikeja Disco for the CAPMI are MOMAS System Nigeria Limited, MOJEC Group
of Companies, Chemo-Technics Limited, MBH Power Limited, Unistar
Hi-tech System Limited and First Global Excel Resources.
Some of them said the importation of prepaid meters would deter the growth of domestic meter manufacturing.
They said they had to develop capacity
ahead of their involvement in the CAPMI scheme in order to boost local
content in the power sector.
They argued that if the DISCOs did not patronise them or if the patronage dropped, they would lose investments.
Source: The Punch