Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) appear set on collision course with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) as the Discos yesterday insisted on payment by customers for replacement of their functional meters.
Both FCCPC and NERC had said customers should not pay for meter replacement.
Investigations yesterday showed that Discos were insisting on payment for replacement of the functional meters.
The Discos insisted that the affected meters would irreversibly be phased out by Thursday, November 14, 2024, leaving non-compliant customers in the dark.
A source at a Lagos-based Disco said customers that fail to comply with the payment and replacement would be unable to recharge, thereby disconnected from electricity supply.
Acting on customers’ petitions, the FCCPC, had said the interest of consumers must be protected by the DisCos in compliance with the extant laws and regulation.
Chief Executive Officer, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr. Tunji Bello, who acknowledge receipt of petitions from electricity customers, said the consumer protection agency would ensure that the rights of the electricity customers are protected.
Head of Consumer Engagement, National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Zubair Babatunde, reiterated the commission’s commitment to consumer protection, specifically regarding the replacement of old meters.
“Obsolete meters must not only be replaced, but must not be removed without immediate replacement. The consumer should not bear the cost of replacing meters,” Babatunde said.
Discos are requesting customers to pay hundreds of thousands of naira for replacement of the current meters being phased out by the Discos.
For instance, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC), has mandated affected customers to pay N202,000 for the meter replacement.
A source close to the Discos said Thursday’s deadline in sacrosanct, noting that it is a global standard that any electric meter that is more than 10 years old must be replaced.
The source explained that (Token Identifier) TID Rollover is the process of updating meters to enable them function seamlessly.
It is a 24-bit field found in STS-compliant tokens, serving to identify the date and time of token generation.
The source explained that the NERC approves of meter payment by consumers provided that the DisCos will give them refund over a period while they recharge.
The source alleged that the DisCos have been recording losses with the continued usage of the meters about to be phased out as the meters are defective.
“They (customers) know why they are protesting the upgrade or replacement. They have been enjoying the system all the while. Once their units are low, the meter doesn’t read efficiently anymore making it a loss for the DisCos.
“They know all these things, but they won’t say it as it is. So, the earlier we get rid of those meters the better for us because of the losses we are incurring from them. This is why we don’t have the luxury of time,” the source said.
A source in one of the DisCos claimed that more than 30,000 customers have applied to it for meter replacement.
The source advised affected customers to take advantage of available meters instead of waiting for the intervention meters, assuring that customers would be refunded later through energy token.
Source: The Nation
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