Aba – The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, (EEDC) is to commence deployment of pre-paid meters to customers by the end of July.
The EEDC Head of Communications, Mr Emeka Eze, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aba, Abia, on Friday.
He said that the company had procured some new set of meters which would be distributed to customers who applied through the Credit Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) scheme.
Eze said that the new meters would first be deployed to the company’s district and state offices to test-run them for effective billing management.
“It will take that long because we are subjecting all our offices to the same process of obtaining the pre-paid meters just as we do to our customers.
“They will fill forms and do every other thing we ask customers to do, ‘’ he said.
He said that after the test-run of the new meters, the company would start the deployment of the meters to the premises of customers who paid for them.
Eze said that the new smart meters awaiting deployment to electricity consumers within the EEDC zone, were different from the ones earlier installed for companies and high volume consumers.
According to him, it is the newness of the model of smart meters the company wishes to deploy that has necessitated the test-run of the meters in their offices.
He allayed the fears of customers who were not sure that after payment they would get metered, stressing that there were enough meters for all who paid.
NAN reports that the company in March 2016, began the process of issuing registration forms to interested customers for the CAPMI scheme in the zone to enable them pay before getting the meters.
The initiative which is still on, provides customers the option of advancing funds to the company to accelerate the purchase and installation of their meters within 45 days. (NAN)