Despite complaints by electricity consumers against the inadequacies of the electricity metering processes nationwide, the Federal Government on Thursday raised the cost of acquiring both single-phase and three-phase electricity meters effective from Monday, November 15, 2021.
The upward review of the meter prices was conveyed in a circular dated November 11, 2021, issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC’s) Chairman, Sanusi Garba, and to managing directors of electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and all meter asset providers.
The circular, with reference number NERC/REG/MAP/GEN/751/2, titled ‘Review of the unit price of end-use meters under the Meter Asset Provider and National Mass Metering Regulations’, indicated that the price of a single-phase meter from the current cost of N44,896.17 to a revised price of N58,661.69
The power sector regulator also increased the price of a three-phase meter from the current cost of N82,855.19 to N109,684.36.
The NERC further stated that all costs are exclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT), adding that in arriving at the approved unit price, it considered the changes in foreign exchange and inflation since the last review that was done in June 2020.
The commission also added that the price review was subject to change upon the conclusion of the procurement process under the phase 1 of the National Mass Metering Programme.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had in August last year directed that there should be a nationwide mass metering programme for electricity consumers in an effort by the Federal Government to put an end to arbitrary billing of electricity consumers.
He explained that government was working to ensure that DisCos commit to increasing the number of hours of daily electricity supply and to also improve on their quality of service.
Investigations by our correspondent showed that the metering programme is being constrained by sundry challenges as millions of consumers, particularly in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Owerri, and other cities have been denied the opportunity of owning meters, despite fulfilling all the requirements set by the DisCos.
