AEDC flags off free installation of 500,000 meters to electricity consumers
Following the recent warning by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babtunde Fashola to Discos to begin the distribution of meters to consumers across the country to stop estimated billing system, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) says it will install free modern prepaid meters to over 500,000 customers under its jurisdiction in the next three years.
Managing Director of the company, Mr. Ernest Mupwaya, disclosed this at a ceremony to begin the installation of the free meters in Abuja recently.
He said the company had completed enumeration of districts in the region, stressing that “This is just a ceremony to symbolise the start of mass metering; it means that we have now simultaneously started the mass metering of our customers in our catchment areas”.
Mupwaya said the exercise is designed to last for three years and at no cost to its customers, adding that over 150 million dollars would be expended on the metering project.
Already, AEDC has installed over 5,000 meters to its customers in Niger as a pilot scheme for the free metering project.
The meters, which comprised three face, single face and maximum demand meters, would only be installed to areas that had been enumerated by AEDC, noting that enumeration was on-going.
AEDC noted that the deployment of the meters would add value the value to the customers, as there were several advantages derivable from using the meter.
Some of the advantages according to the managing director include that “It puts the power in the hands of the customers to regulate the usage according to the way they can afford to pay for the unit. Secondly, they will be able to budget; thirdly, it will bring convenience in paying because they don’t need to come and que to pay for energy.
With the installation, electricity consumers can now access the nearby vending machine or use their cell phone to purchase power.
