The Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) has announced the commencement of the deployment of 1,880 prepaid meters to Band A customers under the Meter Asset Funds Scheme. This is in line with NERC’S recent order to Discos on meter replacement.
The initiative targets Band A customers who ceased receiving electricity subsidies in April and aims to ensure accurate billing and improved customer satisfaction.
Initiative Announcement
Yola Electricity Distribution Company announced this initiative on its social media page recently.
“Yola Electricity Distribution Company is pleased to announce the commencement of providing meters under the Meter Acquisition Funds programme.
This initiative, targeting unmetered Band A customers within YEDC’s franchise area, is part of our ongoing efforts to provide accurate billing and improve customer satisfaction,” a statement signed by the company’s Communications Officer, Blessing Tunoh, on Tuesday reads.
“The meters under this framework will be installed at no cost to YEDC customers. We urge all Band A customers to cooperate with the installers visiting their homes and business premises during the metering exercise,” the statement added.
The distribution process, which has received approval from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, includes 1,500 single-phase meters and 380 three-phase meters. Installation will be carried out by approved vendors from November 18 to November 30, 2024.
Launched on June 13, 2024, the MAF project forms part of the Presidential Metering Initiative, designed to accelerate nationwide metering for electricity consumers.
Through this initiative, Yola Disco seeks to reaffirm its commitment to enhancing electricity distribution quality and providing reliable, transparent services to all customers.
NERC Order to Discos
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) recently ordered Electricity Distribution Companies to replace obsolete prepaid meters for their customers free.
NERC noted that according to the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry Act, it is the responsibility of DisCos to replace faulty and outdated prepaid meters for their customers.
The directive follows recent reports of some electricity companies asking customers to replace Unistar prepaid meters. Such calls by Ikeja Electric Plc and Eko Electricity Distribution Company who had asked energy consumers on their networks with the old Unistar prepaid meters to change them on or before November 24, 2024, or risk being moved into the estimated billing category had sparked outrage amongst customers.
This was because of the increase in the prices of the meters, particularly at a time when many Nigerians are battling with a harsh economic crisis caused by high inflation and energy costs.
The NERC statement read, “The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission is aware that some Distribution Companies have instructed customers to apply and pay for the replacement of faulty and obsolete meters within their franchise areas.
“This instruction contravenes the Commission’s Order No. NERC/246/2021 on the Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete End-use Customer Meters in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
“The Order clearly states that no customer with a meter should be forcefully migrated to estimated billing. If any customer’s meter is adjudged by any DisCo to be obsolete or faulty, it is the responsibility of the DisCo to replace the meter free of charge, provided that the fault was not caused by the customer.”
