In the face of government assurances, the gradual pace of prepaid meter installations persisted during the first quarter of 2023 (Q1’23), with the number of meters installed experiencing a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) increase of 3.95%. The installation count rose from 164,612 meters in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 171,107 meters in Q1’23. This continuation of sluggish growth underscores the challenges faced by the 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) in meeting the demand for prepaid meters from both households and businesses.
This increment indicates that DisCos are still grappling with the task of fulfilling the demand for prepaid meters, leaving consumers susceptible to the problematic practice of estimated billing for electricity consumption. Despite the Nigerian government’s commitment to rectify this issue, the latest figures portray the persistent gap between promises and implementation.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) disclosed these figures in its first quarter report. However, specific month-on-month (MoM) and year-on-year (YoY) details were not provided in the report. According to the report, “A total of 171,107 meters were installed in 2023/Q1, representing an increase of 6,495 installations (+3.95%) compared to the 164,612 meters installed in 2022/Q4. The new installations resulted in a 1.06 percentage points, pp increase in net end-user metering rate in the NESI between 2022/Q4 (42.25%) and 2023/Q1 (43.31%).”
Within the scope of these installations, 158,634 meters were put in place under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) intervention, while an additional 9,931 meters were installed under the National Mass Metering Program (NMMP) scheme.
This report sheds light on the ongoing challenges of establishing an efficient and accessible prepaid meter system in Nigeria. While there has been progress, the persistent gap between supply and demand for prepaid meters indicates a need for sustained efforts to ensure that all consumers have access to accurate metering and fair billing practices.
