The power sector regulator, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has approved the power purchase agreement between Eko Electricity Distribution Company (DisCo) and Paras Energy Resources Limited for embedded generation supply to willing customers, effective from tomorrow.
The cost of the embedded power will be slightly higher than the normal tariff because it is for a dedicated set of customers. Such customers may have the privilege of enjoying uninterrupted supply as long as generators are functional.
The company also said it would deploy over 200,000 smart meters for installation for the various categories of customers in its network as the new electricity tariff has commenced.
The Managing Director, Dr Oladele Amoda told reporters during an interactive session in Lagos that DisCos prefer metering customers to estimation billing contrary to labour unions’ belief that DisCos prefer billing customers on estimation than metering them.
Amoda said: “We decided to show the media and the world that we have embarked on massive metering of our customers contrary to the statement of the labour unions that we prefer billing customers on estimation than metering. Eko DisCo has ordered for large quantity of meters to install for its teeming customers as directed by NERC to ensure that all customers are metered within the next five years.”
He said the company has taken delivery of over 76,000 smart meters, while 100,000 meters are still being expected for delivery by Mojec meter manufacturing company in the next three months.
He said: “We are trying to ensure that we install 200,000 smart meters between the second quarters and December 2016, having installed about 46,000 meters to date. We are patronising local meter manufacturers, and they have promised to meet the delivery timeframe to enable us meet our customers’ mandate.
“We contracted our Maximum Demand (MD) meters to Atron of France because it’s for large consumers while indigenous contractor concentrate on three- phase and single phase meters. We have ordered for 7,500 MD meters but taken delivery of 3,000, while we have been promised to deliver the balance before end of the year.”
Amoda said the new smart meters would address the challenges confronting the company, especially meter by-pass by customers, energy thieves and other related criminal activities. He said the technology in smart meters would inform the workers in the office when customers tamper with the meters, adding that every customer would be metered before the stipulated five years directed by NERC.
“We have invested about $15 million about N3 billion on MD meters, while about N52 billion would be spent on smart metering within the next three years. Every meter is duly certified before usage, we have been with the local manufacturers for a while and they have been doing their best.