05 May 2015, Abuja – Chineme Okafor in Abuja
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said it will commence an administrative assessment to determine how well the substitute electricity metering scheme, the Credited Advance Payment for Meter Implementation (CAPMI) it initiated and passed on to distribution companies in 2014 was implemented by them (discos).
NERC also disclosed that as part of its appraisal of the scheme, it will probably set up new measures to lessen the challenges of requesting and procuring electricity meters from distribution companies by electricity consumers.
Aside from the CAPMI scheme, the regulatory commission hinted as well that it is considering introducing an auction-based system for procurement of capacities from renewable energy sources as much as its desire to restructure Nigeria’s transmission network.
Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi disclosed these in Abuja when the commission recently introduced a consumer advocacy network, the Nigerian Electricity Consumers’ Advocacy Network (NECAN), which is expected to from its composition advocate for issues related to consumers’ rights in the country’s electricity sector.
“As part of continuously improving the sector, we are reviewing the challenges of procuring and installing meters. In the next few weeks, we’ll be initiating a process to re-engage the Credited Advance Payment for Meter Implementation (CAPMI) so as to make the financing of metering more effective.
We are similarly considering introduction of auction based system for renewable energy especially solar and wind that will significantly improve electricity supply in clusters and can be embedded into the distribution system,” Amadi said.
He added: “We will need to reconfigure system grids to scale up interconnections between new production sites and the demand centers.
Infrastructure especially transmission network will need to be reviewed with a view to unbundle and regionalise the transmission network.”
Meanwhile, the Interim President of NECAN, Tomi Akingbogun told journalists at its inaugural press briefing that the network will push for NERC’s sanctions against distribution companies who fail to provide electricity meters to its customers within a given time frame.
He noted the need for a permissible time frame for metering of customers by distribution companies, adding that the process should not be open ended.
– This Day