Electricity Consumers Set To Protest Over Plans To Stop Distribution Of Pre-Paid Meters In Enugu

The consumers of electricity in Enugu state have announced plans to stage a massive protest against the plans of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), to stop the distribution of prepaid meters in the state.

It was gathered that a notice of the stoppage of pre-paid meters distribution was signed by EEDC Network Manager, Mr Jyotirmaya Lenka, on Dec. 16.

The letter confirmed the move to replace the black box pre-paid meter in use is many South East premises with pre-paid meters from Meter Asset Provider (MAP) commencing from Jan. 1, 2020.

However, each customer may cough out about N38,000 to get single-phase new MAP pre-paid meters.

The new charge was in line with MAP scheme approved by National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) that was rolled out in May 2019 across several distribution companies.

From the findings around Enugu metropolis on Monday, it was gathered that the black box pre-paid meters were being used by no fewer than 80 per cent of the electricity consumers/residents in Enugu and South-East.

It could be recalled that Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), had introduced the smart card pre-paid meters to consumers to replace the analog meters.

That was shortly before the unbundling of the electricity sector by the Federal Government in 2014.

It was learnt that residents who did not have the analog meter to change then had to pay N17,000 to buy one.

Also some residents had to give extra monetary tips before getting the meter then.

Trouble started when the EEDC stated in its notice that it lacked the technical support to service the pre- paid meters, which it described as obsolete.

That was even as consumers using the black box pre-paid meters noted that there was no known challenge in using it.

A customer, Mr Lawrence Njoku, living in Agbede Street in Awkunanaw, Enugu, said that EEDC as a corporate organisation should look at the financial and community burden its recent move would put in the entire South-East.

“It is unfortunate that the information came late, not well-tailored and the time to hook off their esteemed customers being so short to be just few days of sending the letters to residents.

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“I do not know what the company will want to achieve by this painful and anti-people move as well as what they want us to do if they log out almost all their customers from the system and we remain in black-out in the South-East.

“Or, do they want us to return to estimated billings system, a system that has been attested to be fraudulent by nature,’’ Njoku said.

Another customer, Mr Nonye Ugwu, a resident of Akwunanaw, noted that the arbitrariness of EEDC was becoming something else as it had not given convincing reason for phasing out the pre-paid meters used by majority of the people.

Ugwu said: “Are we moving backward or returning to estimated billing system?

“Or how do residents managing to survive present hardship, cough out N38,000 to pay for a MAP pre-paid meters and still pay house rent, school fees and other compulsory spending this January?’’