Sections
Poll: Budget distortion
Do you support the moves by Presidency through the Supreme Court to prevent the National Assembly from distorting 2009 budget?
Electricity consumers hail prepaid meters -Survey
Font size:
A nationwide survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) showed that the prepaid meters were being used alongside the analogue as the meters had yet to be installed in all the states of the federation. Some consumers, according to the survey, have been manipulating the prepaid meters thus ensuring free consumption of electricity.
In Awka, Anambra State capital, the PHCN office has recorded several incidents of meter bypass with eight persons arrested for the offence, which attracts a penalty of N50,000.
The Business Manager of PHCN, Awka District, Emmanuel Ezeugwu, said that Anambra had a problem of consumers trying to bypass the newly introduced pre-paid meter to enjoy energy free of charge.
"More than eight persons have been arrested and handed over to the police," he said.
NAN learnt that about 4,000 meters had been distributed in some sections of Awka, the Anambra capital.
In the FCT, ENL Consortium, a PHCN consultant on National Prepayment Metering Programme (NPPMP), said it had installed about 40,000 prepaid meters in Abuja.
"We have installed about 40,000 prepaid meters in the FCT and with 7,000 per month we are sure to cover most parts of Abuja before the year ends," he said.
He said with the decentralisation of PHCN, each state had the autonomy to choose its own prepaid metre contractor.
On tariff, Yusuf said the billing pattern had not changed from what it used to be when the analog system was in use, adding that "the meter reading is still N6 per unit and N4 per unit (Kwh) on three and single phases, respectively."
"While Meter Maintenance Fees (MMF) and fixed charges on single phase metre are N100 and N30 respectively, the MMF and fixed charges on three-phase metre are still N500 and N120 respectively.
NAN also reports that the desire of many residents of Lagos State to get connected to the prepaid meter has been stalled by the inadequate supply of the facility.
Customers preferred to be connected to the prepaid meter which they believed was more beneficial than the current analog system.
Kunle Ojotimehin, a resident of Agbara area of the state told NAN that in his anxiety to get the meter, he along with other residents of the area, paid N56,500 each in October last year. He, however, expressed regret that three months after the PHCN had yet to issue them with the facility.
Busola Akindele, a lecturer and resident of Mende in Maryland, said she had given up hope of getting the meter as the various visits she made to the PHCN to get the meter failed.
In Abeokuta Business District, only 11,693 out of 79,000 electricity consumers have had prepaid meters installed in their houses.
The Public Affairs Manager of PHCN in Abeokuta, Tokunbo Peters, however, said that installation of the new meters has been temporarily suspended because of fraud perpetrated by those who already had them.
"The biggest problem we are having which led us into suspending the installation of the new meters, is the issue of tampering with the meter," he said.
According to him, more than 100 of such fraudulent customers have been discovered.
"The biggest advantage of the 'prepayment metering scheme' is that it allows the district to collect its money in advance before delivering its product.
"The system also allows for the collection of a percentage of the customer's outstanding debt each time the customer comes to purchase energy.
"The prepaid meter has therefore effectively eliminated the problems of customers accumulating huge debts for service delivered.
"It has also acted as an effective check against wasteful use of energy," he said.
Taiwo Olalekan, a civil servant, said "the pay as you consume is one of the best things to have happened to PHCN, in spite of erratic power supply".
A consumer at Elega area of the state capital, Caroline Oladimeji, wants the sale of the recharge cards to be decentralised.
"The PHCN should make the card available just like the credit for the GSM which could be purchased from anywhere without necessarily going to MTN, GLO or Celtel," she said.
In Damaturu, Mohammed Babakura, the PHCN Distribution Manager in Yobe, said that the company had not received supply of prepaid meters to commence installation.
PHCN has so far installed 18,500 prepaid meters in Kaduna metropolis according to the Principal Public Affairs Manager, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Plc, Baba Omar.
He said the meters were installed in parts of Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Chikun, Doka, Makera, Kawo and Rigasa Local Government Areas.
He said other areas the company intended to reach within a short time include Zaria, Kafanchan and Giwa in Kaduna State, Birnin Kebbi and Yawuri towns in Kebbi State as well as Gusau in Zamfara.
Omar said that some of the problems the company encountered while installing the new metres were lack of access to consumer's residence due to high perimeter walls.
"Sometimes consumers let loose their dogs on PHCN staff to deny our staff access to their premises.
"Sometimes consumers also sabotage our efforts through tempering with the new meters. They either disconnect or distort the metering system to slow down its operation," he added.
While some residents have welcomed the introduction of the new meters, others said it was another method of exploiting the less privileged members of the society.
"Why should the PHCN ask us to pay for the new meter after removing the old ones which we paid for its acquisition," Bello Umar of Narayi Low Cost Housing Estate said.
But in Kogi, the Manager of Lokoja Business District, Tanyi Sama, said that the prepaid meters would be introduced in the area in the next three months.
He said demands for the meters from the general public and contractors were on the increase, adding that the contractor handling the Lokoja ultra-modern market had requested that all the stalls be fitted with the meters.
Katsina State also has not started enjoying the new meters as the facility was yet to reach electricity consumers in the state.
Investigation conducted by NAN showed that consumers were willing to use the prepayment meters instead of the analogue system which, according them, sometimes created crazy bills.
Some of the electricity consumers, however, said that even though they preferred the prepaid meters, getting stable power supply was what they wanted most.
PHCN spokesman in Katsina, Idris Kofar-Wambai, attributed the delay to the introduction of the system in phases by the Kano zonal electricity distribution office.
Kofar-wambai said PHCN had mapped out areas for the introduction of the meters and appealed to electricity consumers to await the completion of the exercise.
PHCN has installed 2,398 prepaid metres in Gombe metropolis, the PHCN Business Manager in Gombe, Ibrahim Zanna, told NAN.
He said that PHCN had 40,305 customers in the state.
Ayodele George, a customer, told NAN that he now paid only what he consumed, unlike in the past when he paid for services not rendered.
However, Samaila Yusuf, described the introduction of the prepaid metre as unnecessary, saying consumers needed constant power supply more than anything else.
"The analogue electricity meters will not be phased out with the introduction of the prepaid meters," says Mr Tunde Solarin, Chief Public Affairs Officer, Jos Distribution Zone.
"Not that the analogue meters will be completely phased out. Rather, they will be recalibrated and installed only in the rural areas.
"Only 96,000 prepaid meters will be installed in the zone, which covers Plateau, Benue, Bauchi and Gombe states, over three years, out of which 40,000 will be installed in Plateau," he added.
NAN reports that PHCN, with its consultant, Alpha Consortium, had commenced the installation of the prepaid meters in the zone in March 2007, having installed 17,974 as at Jan. 31.
Many electricity consumers in Kano have rejected the prepaid metres introduced by the PHCN in the area, saying that the device "frustrate" their energy needs.
Consumers complained that "electricity units run faster in the new metres, when you compare it with how they move in the old meters".
Mohammed Ya'u, a resident of Tudun Wada, said: "I prefer to remain with the old meter for as long as I remain an electricity consumer. I can't afford to use the prepaid meter because it is costly."
Another consumer, Bello Zubairu, told NAN that the new meter would not work in the city in view of what he called "the complex nature" of the electricity network in the area.
Another consumer, the Speaker of the state's House of Assembly, Abdul'aziz Garba-Gafasa, described the introduction of the prepaid metres as "a good development as it would help sanitise electricity consumption in the state".
The Principal Public Relations Manager, Kano Electricity Distribution Company Muntari Baffa-Usman, said the customers' resistance would eventually fizzle out when the consumers experience its benefits.
He attributed the subscribers' posture to the prolonged culture of serving "free lunch" to the people, saying that the new meters had come to stay. Usman said that 20,000 pre-paid meters had been deployed to all parts of Kano metropolis, adding that the machines were being installed with the customers' consent.
Consumers in Ilorin, Kwara have expressed satisfaction with the introduction of the prepaid meters.
Umaru Yero, an accounts officer with Asa Local Government said: "It is a nice development. It reduces wasteful consumption and it is very economical."
"I buy N1,500 prepaid recharge card every month and it serves me," he added.
A retired civil servant, Alhaji Yusuf Saheed, said "prepaid meter is a balanced arrangement between the user and PHCN. No one cheats the other."
Electricity consumers in Abia, Borno, Katsina and Bayelsa States are yet to have the prepaid meters in their houses.
Chidi Asonye, a journalist and Mr Emeka Orji, a civil servant in Umuahia, said the planned introduction of the meters was a welcome development as what was charged as tariff did not reflect actual consumption.
A PHCN official in Umuahia told NAN, on condition of anonymity, that arrangements had been concluded to introduce the prepaid meters in the state.
Consumers in Maiduguri would soon join the network of users of the new system as the PHCN has completed plans to begin the installation of the new meters.
PHCN has taken delivery of 600 units of the meters from the Zaria-based Electricity Company of Nigeria (EMCON).
According to data provided by PHCN only 72 out of 64,000 consumers in the state capital have made payments for the meters.
But in Bayelsa, the installation of the new system may take sometime as the state government was still paying for electricity consumed by its residents.
A PHCN official told NAN that: "We cannot introduce prepaid meter system because we are not dealing directly with the consumers.
"The state government pays in bulk to the PHCN for electricity consumed."
The Energy Commissioner, Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, said the Bayelsa government would soon introduce prepaid meters for its own agencies, corporate organisations and commercial outfits.
The government, according to him, pays between N45 million to N50 million monthly to PHCN for the bulk supply of power to the state.
NAN reports that since the creation of the state in 1996 electricity has been supplied free to residents through the state's Independent Power Plant at Imiringi. (NAN)
In Awka, Anambra State capital, the PHCN office has recorded several incidents of meter bypass with eight persons arrested for the offence, which attracts a penalty of N50,000.
The Business Manager of PHCN, Awka District, Emmanuel Ezeugwu, said that Anambra had a problem of consumers trying to bypass the newly introduced pre-paid meter to enjoy energy free of charge.
"More than eight persons have been arrested and handed over to the police," he said.
NAN learnt that about 4,000 meters had been distributed in some sections of Awka, the Anambra capital.
In the FCT, ENL Consortium, a PHCN consultant on National Prepayment Metering Programme (NPPMP), said it had installed about 40,000 prepaid meters in Abuja.
"We have installed about 40,000 prepaid meters in the FCT and with 7,000 per month we are sure to cover most parts of Abuja before the year ends," he said.
He said with the decentralisation of PHCN, each state had the autonomy to choose its own prepaid metre contractor.
On tariff, Yusuf said the billing pattern had not changed from what it used to be when the analog system was in use, adding that "the meter reading is still N6 per unit and N4 per unit (Kwh) on three and single phases, respectively."
"While Meter Maintenance Fees (MMF) and fixed charges on single phase metre are N100 and N30 respectively, the MMF and fixed charges on three-phase metre are still N500 and N120 respectively.
NAN also reports that the desire of many residents of Lagos State to get connected to the prepaid meter has been stalled by the inadequate supply of the facility.
Customers preferred to be connected to the prepaid meter which they believed was more beneficial than the current analog system.
Kunle Ojotimehin, a resident of Agbara area of the state told NAN that in his anxiety to get the meter, he along with other residents of the area, paid N56,500 each in October last year. He, however, expressed regret that three months after the PHCN had yet to issue them with the facility.
Busola Akindele, a lecturer and resident of Mende in Maryland, said she had given up hope of getting the meter as the various visits she made to the PHCN to get the meter failed.
In Abeokuta Business District, only 11,693 out of 79,000 electricity consumers have had prepaid meters installed in their houses.
The Public Affairs Manager of PHCN in Abeokuta, Tokunbo Peters, however, said that installation of the new meters has been temporarily suspended because of fraud perpetrated by those who already had them.
"The biggest problem we are having which led us into suspending the installation of the new meters, is the issue of tampering with the meter," he said.
According to him, more than 100 of such fraudulent customers have been discovered.
"The biggest advantage of the 'prepayment metering scheme' is that it allows the district to collect its money in advance before delivering its product.
"The system also allows for the collection of a percentage of the customer's outstanding debt each time the customer comes to purchase energy.
"The prepaid meter has therefore effectively eliminated the problems of customers accumulating huge debts for service delivered.
"It has also acted as an effective check against wasteful use of energy," he said.
Taiwo Olalekan, a civil servant, said "the pay as you consume is one of the best things to have happened to PHCN, in spite of erratic power supply".
A consumer at Elega area of the state capital, Caroline Oladimeji, wants the sale of the recharge cards to be decentralised.
"The PHCN should make the card available just like the credit for the GSM which could be purchased from anywhere without necessarily going to MTN, GLO or Celtel," she said.
In Damaturu, Mohammed Babakura, the PHCN Distribution Manager in Yobe, said that the company had not received supply of prepaid meters to commence installation.
PHCN has so far installed 18,500 prepaid meters in Kaduna metropolis according to the Principal Public Affairs Manager, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Plc, Baba Omar.
He said the meters were installed in parts of Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Chikun, Doka, Makera, Kawo and Rigasa Local Government Areas.
He said other areas the company intended to reach within a short time include Zaria, Kafanchan and Giwa in Kaduna State, Birnin Kebbi and Yawuri towns in Kebbi State as well as Gusau in Zamfara.
Omar said that some of the problems the company encountered while installing the new metres were lack of access to consumer's residence due to high perimeter walls.
"Sometimes consumers let loose their dogs on PHCN staff to deny our staff access to their premises.
"Sometimes consumers also sabotage our efforts through tempering with the new meters. They either disconnect or distort the metering system to slow down its operation," he added.
While some residents have welcomed the introduction of the new meters, others said it was another method of exploiting the less privileged members of the society.
"Why should the PHCN ask us to pay for the new meter after removing the old ones which we paid for its acquisition," Bello Umar of Narayi Low Cost Housing Estate said.
But in Kogi, the Manager of Lokoja Business District, Tanyi Sama, said that the prepaid meters would be introduced in the area in the next three months.
He said demands for the meters from the general public and contractors were on the increase, adding that the contractor handling the Lokoja ultra-modern market had requested that all the stalls be fitted with the meters.
Katsina State also has not started enjoying the new meters as the facility was yet to reach electricity consumers in the state.
Investigation conducted by NAN showed that consumers were willing to use the prepayment meters instead of the analogue system which, according them, sometimes created crazy bills.
Some of the electricity consumers, however, said that even though they preferred the prepaid meters, getting stable power supply was what they wanted most.
PHCN spokesman in Katsina, Idris Kofar-Wambai, attributed the delay to the introduction of the system in phases by the Kano zonal electricity distribution office.
Kofar-wambai said PHCN had mapped out areas for the introduction of the meters and appealed to electricity consumers to await the completion of the exercise.
PHCN has installed 2,398 prepaid metres in Gombe metropolis, the PHCN Business Manager in Gombe, Ibrahim Zanna, told NAN.
He said that PHCN had 40,305 customers in the state.
Ayodele George, a customer, told NAN that he now paid only what he consumed, unlike in the past when he paid for services not rendered.
However, Samaila Yusuf, described the introduction of the prepaid metre as unnecessary, saying consumers needed constant power supply more than anything else.
"The analogue electricity meters will not be phased out with the introduction of the prepaid meters," says Mr Tunde Solarin, Chief Public Affairs Officer, Jos Distribution Zone.
"Not that the analogue meters will be completely phased out. Rather, they will be recalibrated and installed only in the rural areas.
"Only 96,000 prepaid meters will be installed in the zone, which covers Plateau, Benue, Bauchi and Gombe states, over three years, out of which 40,000 will be installed in Plateau," he added.
NAN reports that PHCN, with its consultant, Alpha Consortium, had commenced the installation of the prepaid meters in the zone in March 2007, having installed 17,974 as at Jan. 31.
Many electricity consumers in Kano have rejected the prepaid metres introduced by the PHCN in the area, saying that the device "frustrate" their energy needs.
Consumers complained that "electricity units run faster in the new metres, when you compare it with how they move in the old meters".
Mohammed Ya'u, a resident of Tudun Wada, said: "I prefer to remain with the old meter for as long as I remain an electricity consumer. I can't afford to use the prepaid meter because it is costly."
Another consumer, Bello Zubairu, told NAN that the new meter would not work in the city in view of what he called "the complex nature" of the electricity network in the area.
Another consumer, the Speaker of the state's House of Assembly, Abdul'aziz Garba-Gafasa, described the introduction of the prepaid metres as "a good development as it would help sanitise electricity consumption in the state".
The Principal Public Relations Manager, Kano Electricity Distribution Company Muntari Baffa-Usman, said the customers' resistance would eventually fizzle out when the consumers experience its benefits.
He attributed the subscribers' posture to the prolonged culture of serving "free lunch" to the people, saying that the new meters had come to stay. Usman said that 20,000 pre-paid meters had been deployed to all parts of Kano metropolis, adding that the machines were being installed with the customers' consent.
Consumers in Ilorin, Kwara have expressed satisfaction with the introduction of the prepaid meters.
Umaru Yero, an accounts officer with Asa Local Government said: "It is a nice development. It reduces wasteful consumption and it is very economical."
"I buy N1,500 prepaid recharge card every month and it serves me," he added.
A retired civil servant, Alhaji Yusuf Saheed, said "prepaid meter is a balanced arrangement between the user and PHCN. No one cheats the other."
Electricity consumers in Abia, Borno, Katsina and Bayelsa States are yet to have the prepaid meters in their houses.
Chidi Asonye, a journalist and Mr Emeka Orji, a civil servant in Umuahia, said the planned introduction of the meters was a welcome development as what was charged as tariff did not reflect actual consumption.
A PHCN official in Umuahia told NAN, on condition of anonymity, that arrangements had been concluded to introduce the prepaid meters in the state.
Consumers in Maiduguri would soon join the network of users of the new system as the PHCN has completed plans to begin the installation of the new meters.
PHCN has taken delivery of 600 units of the meters from the Zaria-based Electricity Company of Nigeria (EMCON).
According to data provided by PHCN only 72 out of 64,000 consumers in the state capital have made payments for the meters.
But in Bayelsa, the installation of the new system may take sometime as the state government was still paying for electricity consumed by its residents.
A PHCN official told NAN that: "We cannot introduce prepaid meter system because we are not dealing directly with the consumers.
"The state government pays in bulk to the PHCN for electricity consumed."
The Energy Commissioner, Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, said the Bayelsa government would soon introduce prepaid meters for its own agencies, corporate organisations and commercial outfits.
The government, according to him, pays between N45 million to N50 million monthly to PHCN for the bulk supply of power to the state.
NAN reports that since the creation of the state in 1996 electricity has been supplied free to residents through the state's Independent Power Plant at Imiringi. (NAN)
Add to:
del.icio.us |
Digg
del.icio.us |
Digg
Email to a friend
Print version
Plain textRate this article
Comments ( posted):
Post your comment