Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, says the
federal government has plans to supply more than
three million prepaid meters.

NAN reports that the federal government intervention
programme aims to combat the incapacity of
electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to meter all
the houses of consumers across the country.

Fashola, who also heads the ministries of works and
housing, said the contract for the supply of the meters
has been awarded since 2003 but they were not
supplied.

“In 2003, the government awarded a contract for three
million meters but they were not supplied,” he said.
“I inherited it, they were in court and I am trying to
take it out of the court so that we can settle and start
the supply.”

The former Lagos state governor said metering houses
in the country were facing some challenges because
there is no accurate database of actual consumers in
the country.

“There is a database of six million households; it is a
faulty base because we have more than six million
households in the country.

“There are four types of consumers – R1 (poorest
consumer), R2, R3 and maximum demand consumers
— and they are not on the same plan.

“DisCos need to go into these houses, do an audit to
determine the type of meters to install.

“If you have a wrong meter, you will pay wrong price
or bill. A meter is both a safety device and a
measuring device; it can under read or over read or
cause fire if not properly installed.

“But essentially, the DisCos must provide meters, it is
only fair and let the consumer manage his
consumption and billing system because he has a
meter.”

Fashola, who described the problems of the power
sector as man-made, said way of life and human
behavioural problem are some of the issues.

Others, he said, are power wastage, building of houses
in difficult terrain without approval, lack of
conservation culture and energy theft.

“Some people will put on a 70 or 120-watt bulb as
security light for 24 hours, including the daytime when
they do not need it and it is because they have either
stolen the energy or bypassed their meters.

“They are robbing DisCos of huge sums of money as
they may not be able to pay back the energy they
bought for distribution.”

NAN reports that electricity consumers pay N25,000
(official), N35, 000 (fast-track) for a single phase
meter, while the three-phase models go for N50,000
and above.

TheCable