By Adewale Owoade
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has announced the resumption of its free prepaid metre installation exercise under Tranche B of the Metre Acquisition Fund (MAF) and Phase 1 of the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), two major initiatives aimed at closing the metering gap across its franchise area.
The Coordinating Head, Corporate Services, Angela Olanrewaju, said a total of 33,450 smart metres will be deployed under MAF Tranche B, while 22,104 metres will be installed under DISREP Phase 1.
IBEDC explained that the MAF rollout prioritises unmetered customers on Band A feeders, while DISREP will cater to customers on Bands A and B.
The company reaffirmed that both the metres and installation are entirely free, cautioning customers against making any payment to installers or staff.
“The metres are completely free, and installation is also free. Customers must not make any form of payment to anyone. Anyone requesting money should be reported via mafdisrep@ibedc.com or ethicscompliance@ibedc.com
IBEDC noted that the MAF scheme is funded through a market-supported mechanism approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to help electricity distribution companies bridge the metering gap nationwide.
“The scheme complements the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) and is designed to accelerate nationwide metering. It will run concurrently with the MAP scheme, but unlike MAP, MAF metres come at no cost to customers.”
The company urged customers to cooperate with installers by granting them access upon presentation of valid identification.
“Denying access for metre installation may result in disconnection as directed by NERC. We urge customers to cooperate fully so we can serve them better.”
IBEDC also warned against tampering with or bypassing the new metres, stressing that such acts constitute energy theft and attract serious penalties.
Customers with outstanding arrears were encouraged to visit the nearest IBEDC office for resolution to ensure a smooth transition to prepaid metering. However, the company clarified that outstanding bills will not disqualify any customer from receiving a free meter.
“No customer will be denied a metre on account of outstanding bills. Arrears will be managed in line with the company’s debt settlement policy and established procedures.” (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
