The Ikeja Electric has announced that it was set to meter about 300,000 of its customers with smart meter devices soon.
Disclosing this in Lagos, managing director of the company, Abiodun Ajifowobaje, expressed hope that the move would address some challenges associated with billing system.
The managing director, who puts the cost of the project N21.2 billion, said the development was under its Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI).
He further said the metering would assist in curtailing energy theft and put an end to estimated billing system.
He said the pilot project would start on May 25, 2015 with 2,000 meters for customers who had electricity challenges or non-functional meters.
He said a study conducted by the company showed that 300,000 of the 600,000 customers in the zone were without functional meters.
He said the new investors inherited about 138,000 meters out of which 40,000 customers illegally by-passed their meters.
He said: “Because we have not adequately monitored energy received from the national grid due to actions of these customers, we have decided to ensure that we install these hi-tech meters to check illegal connections by electricity consumers. The new smart meter will ensure accuracy of energy usage for proper and effective billing system. Customers should also protect the meters.”
He disclosed that the company had spent over N1.7 billion in acquiring power equipment from indigenous local manufacturers to boost power supply.
He blamed shortage of gas supply as the major challenge facing the electricity company.
He said: “Egbin Power Station, which has the capacity of generating over 1,200mw, generates about 300mw due to inadequate gas supply.”
He said as a result of the gas problem, the company received got 280mw to be distributed to more than 600,000 customers in the zone against the 1,000mw required.
He called for a law that would enable the electricity companies to prosecute perpetrators of energy theft and other fraudulent practices.
