Discos may move three million subscribers to estimated billing
Except there is a last-minute intervention, about three million electricity customers may be forced into estimated billing or outright darkness due to their failure to upgrade their prepaid meters.
This is as a consumer group estimated that half of the 5,993,340 metered customers would be caught in the web of the government policy.
But another group opined that anybody who has not upgraded his meter until now should be one of those Nigerians who like to display lackadaisical attitudes towards government policies, saying the upgrade started last year.
In the past 10 days, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has repeatedly reminded Nigerians of the need to upgrade their meters.
“Have you updated your meter yet? From November 24, 2024, you may not be able to recharge your meter without updating. However, updating is easy and free.
“DisCos have already commenced issuance of two free Key Change Tokens which will update your meter.
“The update will not affect the units in your meter, nor will it make your meter run faster than usual. Contact your DisCo for more information,” the NERC said in a post on its handles.
As the NERC continued to sensitise consumers to the meter update, most of the distribution companies appeared unbothered until the exercise elapsed on Sunday.
As of yesterday, there were various complaints from customers who have yet to update their meters.
While some customers said they encountered technical glitches in their efforts to update their meters, others complained of a lack of electricity and many said they got feedback that their meters could not be updated and they had to be replaced.
Earlier, the distribution companies in Lagos told their consumers that all Unistar meters would be phased out by November 14 2024 due to Token Identifier rollover.
Customers using Unistar meters were asked to pay for the replacement of their meters, sparking outrage from affected customers.
The Unistar meter producers denied claims that their meters are outdated. They stated that their meters utilising the card meter technology are fully upgradeable and compatible with the STS meter technology.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission also intervened, urging the DisCos to halt their replacement of Unistar prepaid meters.
The FCCPC’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, at a recent meeting held at the FCCPC headquarters in Abuja and was attended by representatives from the NERC, the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency NEMSA, various electricity distribution companies and Unistar Hitech Systems Limited, expressed concern over practices that require consumers to pay upfront for meters without reimbursement, calling it a direct violation of the NERC Meter Asset Provider and National Mass Metering Regulations 2021.
He also noted that DisCos frequently places consumers with faulty meters on estimated billing, saying this is prohibited under NERC’s regulations
consumers do the FCCPC know?” he queried.
Customers share experience
A customer of the Ikeja DisCo, Dare Oguntuase, reported to NERC, his unsuccessful efforts to retrieve his meter allegedly taken away by the DisCo in September.
“NERC should do more than advocacy. Our Discos are irresponsible, fraudulent, and highly unpatriotic. Ikeja Electric is the worst. I have been in the darkness for 63 days now and still counting. My meter No. 47001599126, was retrieved for repair/replacement since 20th September,” he said.
Esther Madu, an X user, said her meter was not accepting the token for the upgrade.
“Someone please help me. I have recharged more than N8,000 on my prepaid meter but my meter has been rejecting the token since Monday. Therefore, I haven’t been able to use electricity in my home since Monday,” she cried out.
A customer of the Port Harcourt DisCo, Engr Gabby, reported, “My meter is rejecting the KCT given to me and I have dropped a complaint to the PHED, to date, no solution.”
Patrick, also under the Port Harcourt DisCo, pleaded with the regulator to extend the deadline, saying his area has been out of power supply due to vandalism.
“Our transformer armored cable was vandalised. PHED refused to fix it. We are contributing N6,000 each to replace the cable. Try to extend this deadline,” Patrick told NERC on X.
Olutosin Runsewe queried why old meter users cannot upgrade their meters.
When asked if she had been able to upgrade her meter, Runsewe replied, “No, they said Unistar meters can’t be upgraded.”
Another customer of the IKEDC, Ikhade Agboghayemeh, shared his chat with the company, which told him to request a meter replacement when he sought information on how to update his Unistar meter.
A customer of the Abuja DisCo simply identified as Austine reported that his faulty meter was not repaired almost a year ago.
“Please intervene in my case with the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company. My meter has been faulty for almost a year now. All my efforts to get them to repair it have failed,” Austine begged NERC.
Replying to calls for an upgrade, an electricity customer said, “You guys are funny, still not enough houses metered. You want to out-date existing meters after upgrading without any plans of replacement. The DisCos are making customers pay through their noses for meter replacement. If you don’t pay, they don’t change it or they place you on estimated billing.”
Also, a consumer identified as Mathew CB, voiced his frustration in Enugu.
According to him, an extension was done through his group’s continuous engagement with NERC.
“I believe with the type of engagement and enlightenment on it to consumers since last year, many ought to have done it without any hassles.
“If any customer has not done the upgrading till now, it may be out of the lackadaisical attitude of some Nigerians who like to wait till the last minute or until punitive measures are taken before they do the needful.
“I will not fold hands and watch the DisCos do anything that will tamper with consumers rights, even if it means approaching the court of competent jurisdiction. But this meter upgrade is not about sending many to the estimated billing system,” he stressed.
Contacted, a Senior Public Relations Officer at the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Nicholas Utsalo, told our correspondent to send an official email, which has not been responded to since Saturday.
Our correspondent learnt that those whose meters were not updated would either choose to be in darkness or revert to the estimated billing system if they cannot wait till the day their DisCos will consider them for a new meter.
Likewise, individuals may decide to buy their own meter if it is taking too long to get a free device from their utility companies.
