Discos now selling FG’s free meters, consumers allege in Nigeria

Power consumers have raised the alarm that power distribution companies were now selling the free meters that were provided for electricity users by the Federal Government.

In October 2020, the Federal Government inaugurated the National Mass Metering Programme in respect of which the Central Bank of Nigeria issued a framework for financing the scheme.

The programme was inaugurated to increase the country’s metering rate and eliminate arbitrary estimated bills that were given unmetered customers by Discos.

Through the scheme, the CBN provided financing support to the Discos for the procurement of meters for customers from local meter manufacturers.

The meters were meant to be installed free of charge in the residence of beneficiaries, but power users on Friday alleged that some Discos were beginning to collect money for the meters.

They told Punch’s correspondent that some Discos claimed that the scheme was being run alongside the Meter Asset Providers programme, but argued that the MAPs had not been successful, which was why the government introduced the NMMP.

Speaking on studies done by his group as regards the installation of meters under the NMMP, the National Secretary, Nigeria Electricity Consumer Advocacy Network, Uket Obonga, said Discos were selling meters that were meant to be free.

Power distributors, however, said they would not want to comment on controversial issues in the sector at the moment.

-Punch