… Insists on payment for proposed new meters instead of replacement
By Ndu Chris Nwannah, Guest Writer, Awka Times Magazine
The Management of Enugu Electricity Distribution plc (EEDC) has made known its intention to suspend the decommissioning of standalone meters until more smart prepaid meters are procured to complete the swapping exercise.
This was disclosed by the Head of Communications, EEDC, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, in a release in Enugu.
According to Ezeh, with this development “customers whose meters are yet to be decommissioned can visit any of the designated vending points located at select District Offices to recharge their meters.”
The select locations are: Awkunanaw, Abakpa, Awka, Onitsha, Owerri, New Owerri and Nnewi districts offices.
Mr Ezeh recalled that part of the reasons for the decommissioning exercise is the “increasing difficulty in providing support for the card reader system used in vending these standalone meters.”
He however noted that “EEDC has retrieved some of the machines that are functional and deployed them at the select designated locations to enable customers vend their meters.”
Mr Ezeh assured that “efforts are in place to install meters for customers whose meters were decommissioned during the exercise.”
Contrary to expectations of customers on meter replacement, EEDC urged them begin the process of replacing the Standalone meters through its MAP programme.
“Consequently, customers within EEDC network that are still unmetered, and those on standalone meters are enjoined to take advantage of the ongoing Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme, a metering program designed and approved by the Federal Government and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), to procure their smart prepaid meters.”
“EEDC reassures its esteemed customers of its unwavering commitment to good services”, Mr Ezeh stated.
