DisCos urged to buy local metres

Chairman, MOMAS Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company, MEMMCOL, Kola Balogun, has called on the electricity distribution companies, DisCos, to patronise made in Nigeria metres as they are more rugged, repairable and replaceable.

According to him, locally produced metres are made by young and experienced Nigerians and will boost local content and industrialisation in the country.

“The meters we produced here in Nigeria are repairable, replaceable. The components are designed by us. All the other parts are readily found in Nigeria. So, if any of the parts damage, it can easily be repaired, calibrated and resend to the consumer. In fact, the most advantage of locally produced meters is that its repairable. The rate of error is negligible. The imported ones are not repairable because some of the parts are not available in Nigeria”.

He said Nigeria made meters are more robust and rugged than any other meters manufactured elsewhere.

“We have a name to protect internally knowing fully well that if there is an error we will be held responsible. So, we do everything humanly possible to ensure that the meters we produced are able to meet the needs of the sector”, he said.

He also called for the re-launch of Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI), an initiative, which was instituted in 2013 but suspended in November last year by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)

CAPMI was an alternative financing options which allowed electricity consumers to self-finance of their meter acquisition and installation since Discos were unable to promptly deploy meters to them but was suspended

According to NERC Some Discos neglected their primary obligation to provide electricity meters to their customers at no extra cost to them since it is part of the tariff being paid, but relied only on CAPMI. All these efforts proved ineffective in improving meter deployment.

“Between November 2013 and June 2016 why the scheme was in place, NERC said only about 500,000 meters were deployed by the 11 Discos with Discos directly adding less than 35 per cent into the network. This is far below expected metering target,” he added.
Balogun said: “CAPMI was a fantastic scheme other than the fact that some distribution companies abused the entire process. If NERC can brings in a modified CAPMI and set up a task force to monitor the process of implementation, it will go a long way in addressing the issue of metering gap in the country. With the task force in place if there is an error, it can be reviewed quickly. The scheme should be continued”.