Stories by Chris Ochayi

The Managing Director of the company, Haruna Garuba made the disclosure last week during the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, public consultation on electricity metering in Kaduna.

According to him, “We have a plan to roll out about  80,000 meters every year. In Kaduna, the customer base is about 480,000 which we believe could be more than that. So in our plan, we know more houses are being built and more customers are coming up. That is why we have the plan to bridge the gap.”

He said that under the CAPMI  it is expected that customers should willingly make advance payment for pre-paid meter which the electricity distribution company is obliged to install for them within 45 days of provision of notice of payment by the customer.

Recall that a private investor took over the management of the company about two weeks ago.

But Garuba explained that the company will rehabilitate most of the equipment and invest in infrastructure in its electricity market that cuts across over a distance of 1,000Km in Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto State.

The NERC Commissioner of Government and Consumer Affairs, Dr. Abbah Ibrahim had earlier urged the distribution company to bridge the 60 per cent metering gap in the market.

He stressed that: “More than 50 per cent in some cases 60 percent of consumers are not metered and this led to a situation where customers are estimated.”

He also revealed that the commission has directed the DISCOs to publish their  electricity load shedding plan as from next year.

Ibrahim said that “By next year all the DISCOs will publish and they will also announce on the television in their coverage area the time they are going to do their load shedding.”

In his presentation, the KEDC Head, Customer Service Market Mr. Sunday Yahaya said that the company which has commenced verification of customers has installed 8,601 meters under the CAPMI scheme.