News Agency of Nigeria
JED begins distribution of 109,000 free prepaid metres

JED begins distribution of 109,000 free prepaid metres

Metres

By Blessing Odega

The Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED) has commenced the installation of 109,000 free prepaid metres to its customers on its Band A feeders.

JED’s acting Head of Corporate Communications, Mrs Saratu Daudu, said in a statement on Tuesday in Jos that the exercise began on Monday.

Daudu said that the gesture was in line with JED’s Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) Metering Scheme.

The head of corporate communication said the initiative was aimed at improving service delivery and bridging the metering gap in its franchise areas of Bauchi, Benue, Gombe and Plateau states.

According to her, the exercise would focus strictly on providing metres for existing unmetered customers and replacing faulty meters only on Band A feeders.

She pointed out that such customers would be given a complete installation kit comprising the metre and User Interface Unit (UIU) (for checking token values) and a metres card.

“The scheme would not cover new connections. New connections must apply through the Metre Asset Provider (MAP) Scheme, as no direct connection on Band A feeders will be allowed.

“The new prepaid metres featured advanced technology to enhance efficiency, security, and transparency, such as automated token uploads, which eliminate the need for manual entry via the UIU.

“The metre’s geo-lock functionality ensured metres only operated at the assigned GPS location in JED Plc’s database.

“The new prepaid metres allow customers to have real-time consumption monitoring, with alerts sent to JED PLC when tokens are exhausted or in cases of prolonged non-purchase.

“The metres also have tamper and bypass detection, with instant notifications sent to JED PLC for any interference,” she explained.

Daudu said that in line with regulatory requirements, customers benefiting from the DISREP Metering Scheme were required to visit the nearest JED office after installation to validate their debt profile.

The head of corporate communication said such customers would also be eligible for discount offers under the ongoing debt validation and discount promo.

She said that there was a 30 per cent discount for customers who cleared their total debt in full.

Dauda said customers who choose to repay their debts in instalments within three years would enjoy a 25 per cent discount.

The official emphasised that the DISREP metres also were completely free of charge and warned customers who were unmetered on its Band A feeders not to make any payments to staff or agents for metres or installations.

“Any customer who makes such payments does so at their own risk, as the company will not be liable for any losses incurred,” she warned.

Daudu appealed to all customers, especially those on Band A feeders, to cooperate fully with its staff during metre validation and profiling visits.

She urged the company’s clients to report fraud-related complaints with evidence through the company’s communication channels. (NAN) (http://www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Peter Amine

FG to receive first batch of 3.2m meters in April

FG to receive first batch of 3.2m meters in April

Meters

By Constance Athekame

The Federal Government says it is set to receive the first batch of 3.205 million meters in April, procured to bridge the metering gap in the country.

The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, said this in a statement by his Special Adviser, Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Mr Bolaji Tunji in Abuja on Sunday.

Adelabu said that 75,000 meters under the International Competitive Bid 1 (ICB1) were also expected by the end of April.

According to the minister the second batch of 200,000 meters will also be received in May.

He said that the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) was set to deliver the 3.2 million meters by 2026.

“This will be achieved through different procurement models, including 1.437 million meters through International Competitive Bid 1 (ICB1).

”There is another 217,600 meters through National Competitive Bid (NCB), and 1.550 million meters through International Competitive Bid 2 (ICB2), ” Adelabu said. .

According to him, as part of this plan, the first batch of 75,000 meters under ICB1 is expected by April, followed by the second batch of 200,000 meters in May.

”In addition to the DISREP, the N700 billion Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) is another key intervention designed to accelerate metering,”he said.

The minister said that the PMI, which had already secured N700 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), was structured to ensure large-scale meter procurement and deployment.

He said that a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) had been established to oversee the implementation of the initiative.

”While challenges persist, the facts tell a more balanced story; one of sustained effort, financial commitment, and structured implementation plans by the Federal Government to close the metering gap.

”Despite claims of stagnation, metering installations have been progressing steadily.

”As at Dec.2024, a total of 5.502 million customers had been metered, representing about 55 percent of the 10.114 million active electricity customers in the country,”he said.

He said that In 2024 alone, 572,050 meters were installed.

According to him, though installation rates have varied over the years, the sector maintains a yearly average of about 668,000 meters installed.

He said that structured financing and government-backed initiatives were expected to accelerate deployment beyond the current pace, ensuring that the metering gap is addressed efficiently.

He said that to bridge the meeting gap, the government had put in place key initiatives aimed at significantly improving metering across the country.

“The government had set a target of deploying two million meters annually for five years, with the first batch of two million meters expected to be released by the third quarter of this year.

”These structured interventions provide a clear roadmap for addressing the metering gap in an effective and sustainable manner”.

“While the metering gap remains a concern, the notion that it will take over a decade to resolve is misleading,” he said.

He said that with the ongoing DISREP and PMI initiatives, Nigeria’s metering landscape was set to experience significant improvement before the end of the year.

”The focus should be on the execution of these well-structured plans rather than a blanket critique that overlooks the real progress being made,”he said.(NAN)(www.nannews ng)

Edited by Modupe Adeloye/Kadiri Abdulrahman

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