The Ikeja Distribution Company, DISCO has said it is rolling out 12,000 free meters from October 2015 to residents and corporate bodies under its services.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Mr. Abiodun Ajifowobaje, who disclosed this at an interaction with journalists in Lagos, also said that the scope of the metering project is to deploy approximately 300,000 electric meters between September 2015 and December 2016, with installation of about 12,000 meters monthly in already mapped out areas in all the Business Units of the Company.
“Energy accounting meter installation at feeders has been completed, mass meter roll out commenced in August, and 6,000 units have already been installed. Our target is to achieve monthly installation of 15,000 units,” he said.
Explaining the nature of the meters, the CEO said they are designed to enhance efficient energy usage and transparent billing in real time, adding that the roll out represents a remarkable step in the company’s quest for redefining service delivery in the sector.
He said: “This development resonates with our new spirit, new drive and new energy identity, as we strive to create value for our customers. Ikeja Electric’s Advanced Meter Infrastructure, AMI, is a state-of-the-art technology that enables utilities to read, disconnect and connect meters remotely and to detect individual customer outages quickly using a wireless communications network.
“The metering project will replace today’s meters with “next generation” electronic meter technology that improves customer service and enables customers to proactively manage their energy use and save money by giving them the power to control how much electricity they use against how much electricity they pay for.”
Apart from more frequent and accurate energy consumption information, Ajifowojabe also said the advanced metering system is capable of collecting a variety of other data such as power outages, restoration alerts and meter tampering data to detect theft of energy.
He further explained that the company chose to introduce smart meters because of its immense benefits to the customers, as it will guarantee accurate reading (no more estimated bills) as well as improved security and tamper detection on equipment.
Ajifowojabe also said that a proposal to reduce monthly tariff by 50 percent has been sent to the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, for approval.
The reduction, he said, is being initiated in view of the planned increase in energy charge per kilowatt/hour (Kw/h).
“Customer number and the percentage growth rate as presently determined is based on the anticipated outcome of the enumeration project currently in progress,” he added.