The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola has told the Power Distribution Companies, DisCos, to put an end to the estimated billing system.
The minister said “It is subjective and prone to abuse.”
Fashola said this Tuesday in Kaduna, calling on the electricity distribution companies to access the Federal Government’s N37 billion fund under the Meter Asset Provider, MAP, to put a stop to the estimated billing.
He said the Executive arm of Government had responded by taking advantage of the MAP Regulations to deploy a fund of N37bn towards supplying meters through the private sector.
“Let me be clear that every DISCO is affected and, every DISCO needs to respond by providing meters quickly and seeking to end estimated billing, which is subjective, discretionary, and prone to abuse.
“I urge all DISCOs who have not taken benefit of this opportunity to quickly do so, or, make their own funding arrangements to contract their own meter providers to supply and install meters.
“On the Legislative side of Government, there is a clear intention to intervene by Legislation.”
Fashola disclosed that the Executive and Legislative response shows that Government is committed to addressing the issue of meters.
He added that meter supply has become the big issue of the moment that the consumers want the stakeholders to resolve.
“As a government, we hear them loudly and clearly and as service providers, we hope that you can hear them too.”
He stated that if power supply continues to increase in Generation, Transmission and Distribution, the demand for meters will increase because more power supply and consumption will likely result in increased bills.
“Estimated billings in this circumstance will become a major cause of distrust and conflict between consumers and DisCos and meters are the easiest way to build the bridge of trust.”
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