Energy Briefs
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THE Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has said that its directive to the 11 electricity distribution companies, Discos, in the country to provide meters to all the maximum demand consumers under their networks over the next five months was final. It warned that erring Discos would face serious sanctions for not meeting the deadline.
The NERC deadline is in line with the agreement it reached with the Discos on the metering conditions of the consumers and that failure of the Discos to comply with the decisions reached during meetings would attract severe penalties from December 1, 2016. The deadline states “Discos (are) to provide meters for all maximum demand meter customers within their networks not later than the last quarter of 2016.
Maximum demand electricity customers are categorised as those connected on the 11Kv (high tension wire) electricity lines, mostly with their dedicated transformers. They include heavy users of electricity like commercial business plazas, small scale industries and others.
The commission said its decision to sanction Discos that may default on its directive was sequel to rising complaints from all categories of electricity customers over estimated bills they considered irreconcilable with the available power supply in the networks operated by the Discos.
The maximum demand customers had indicated their willingness to key into its makeshift metering plan, the Credit Advance Payment for Metering Initiative CAPMI, which permits willing electricity customers to pay for meter by advancing money to Discos who then install meters to them within 45 days but the Discos have allegedly remained reluctant to accept their requests.
“The Commission frowned at Discos’ refusal to meter their maximum demand customers under the CAPMI. Customer who subscribes to CAPMI has (to be) refunded his money with interest through discounted electricity bills over a period of time. The Commission in its directives observed that most of the Discos have refused to accept maximum demand customers under CAPMI scheme. Meanwhile, maximum demand customers are fewer in number than the other categories of customers and should have been easily dispensed with by the Discos,” it stated in a statement issued in Abuja.
Anthony Akah, NERC’s acting head, who signed off the order said that “any customer who approaches your Disco for metering under CAPMI scheme must have their meters within CAPMI stipulated timeline of 45 days. The scheme remains as an option for customers but a compulsory requirement for Discos to implement when a customer offers to contribute to metering through CAPMI.”
— Jul 18, 2016 @ 01:00 GMT
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