25 April 2014, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, says it would be distributing 8,000 pre-paid meters monthly in its area of coverage.
Managing Director of the company, (AEDC), Mr Neil Croucher, who disclosed this said the move was part of strategies to end estimated billing of customers.
Besides, Abuja, AEDC also covers Nasarawa, Kogi and Niger states.
Croucher made this known in Abuja at the monthly Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) meeting with electricity stakeholders.
He explained that the company would install no fewer than 100,000 meters in the areas annually through the monthly installation of 8,000 units in the next five years.
He decried the poor power supply situation in the country and said the company was working with relevant stakeholders to reverse the trend.
Croucher said that the company was striving to evolve new technology that would ensure better meter reading for the 690,000 post-paid meter customers before the pre-paid meters would be installed.
He explained that hand-held meter reading device would be deployed every month or every three months as recently directed by the NERC.
He cautioned consumers against illegal connection, stating that anyone caught would be appropriately sanctioned.
The NERC hairman, Dr Sam Amadi, said it had become necessary to stop estimated billing system to avoid exploitation of electricity consumers.
“This estimation and crazy billings must stop. For those with post-paid meters, the Discos must go and read those meters, and any month that they don’t read the meter, they should use a baseline.