The Federal Government has mandated that electricity distribution companies must replace meters that are phased out due to upgrades.
This declaration was made by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission which clarified that while there is no directive to phase out Unistar meters, these meters will soon become inoperable due to technological upgrades, preventing users from vending, according to The Punch.
The commission emphasized that any meter being replaced by Discos must be substituted to avoid disruption in customers’ metering services.
As Nigeria seeks to address a seven million metering gap, some Discos have insisted that customers acquire new meters by a November 14 deadline.
Commenting, the Vice Chairman of NERC, Musiliu Oseni stated that there is no official directive yet on phasing out Unistar meters, emphasizing that the matter is currently under consideration.
Oseni explained that the issue relates to the Token Identifier Rollover.
He noted that without upgrading the meters, customers would face difficulties in purchasing electricity.
Oseni emphasized that Unistar meters are not upgradable and will ultimately need to be phased out.
“Operationally, if they say those meters are not upgradable, they can decide to phase them out. But as they remove the meters, based on the rule, they must replace them. It is the responsibility of the Discos to replace them,” he said.
He emphasized that during the phase-out process, no customer should be placed on estimated billing or denied access to electricity.
He also pointed out that if customers are required to purchase meters under the MAP framework, Discos must establish a clear mechanism for refunds, as they are obligated to reimburse customers.
“It’s a win-win for both sides because customers will be frustrated if it gets to a point that they want to vend and the meter is rejected. For Discos to remove the meter, they must make sure a mechanism for replacement happens, either vendor financing, Disco financing, or if it is MAP (Meter Asset Provider) to be funded by the customer; but the customer must be aware that they would be refunded,” he emphasised.
Meanwhile, the All Electricity Consumer Protection Forum has urged Ikeja Electric and Eko Electricity Distribution Company to suspend the decommissioning of electricity meters.
The forum called on the Discos to wait for formal regulatory approval from NERC before proceeding with the phase-out.
