Electricity distribution providers are required by the Federal Government to replace any meters that are phased out as a result of meter upgrades.
It made this announcement through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and made it clear that, despite the claims made, there is no mandate to phase out Unistar meters; rather, the meters will soon cease to function as a result of technological advancements, meaning their users will not be able to vend. To guarantee that customers’ metering requirements are not disrupted, the commission mandated that any meters that Discos are currently changing be replaced. Some Discos have demanded that customers receive new meters by November 14th, citing the seven million metering gap as a deadline.
Vice Chairman of NERC, Musiliu Oseni noted that the Discos are currently handling the operational aspects of Unistar meter phasing out, adding that there isn’t an official instruction on the subject as of yet.
According to Oseni, the Token Identifier Rollover is the cause of the problem. He said that customers would find it more difficult to buy electricity if the meters were not changed. Oseni underlined that because Unistar meters cannot be upgraded, they must eventually be phased out, BrandSpur technology and information news reports.
Continuing, he has this to say: “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.”
However, Oseni underlined that no client should be refused electricity throughout the phase-out process or put on approximated billing. He made the point that Discos are required to reimburse customers if they are compelled to acquire meters under the MAP framework, therefore they must have a clear refund policy in place.
He disclosed: “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.”
