Kaduna Electric to consumers: Accept meters or we’ll cut you off

Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect

Amid the repeated calls on the 11 Nigerian electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to ensure that all electricity consumers get meters by April, 2020, the Management of Kaduna Electric, operator of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC) has threatened to cut-off power supply to any electricity customer within its franchise if they refused to be metered.

ConsumerConnect sources revealed that KEDC’s Abdulazeez Abdullahi, Head of Corporate Communication, made the statement while clarifying a recent statement by  the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), that customers in Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi, who were yet to be metered should not pay more than N1,800 per month henceforth.

Report says Abdullahi noted that, even though the NERC mandated the order of payment of N1,800 per month for customers under estimated billing, it did not mean same amount would be paid by residential and commercial customers.

“The Management of Kaduna Electric debunked insinuations from a section of its customers purporting that a flat rate of N1,800 has been fixed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) as monthly payment for electricity use by residential and commercial customers.

“The order of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission putting a cap on estimated billing did not imply that all residential and commercial customers shall pay a uniform rate. Rather, the order stipulated different rates for different locations,” he said.

According to KEDC Head of Corporate Communication, “… the capping was essentially to accelerate the metering of customers in the residential and commercial categories. “The capping as directed by NERC varies from one location to another within the company’s four franchise states of Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi.

“Kaduna Electric urges customers, who have not been metered yet to immediately apply for meters which are available under the Meter Asset Provider scheme.

“Customers should be aware that as the NERC order mandated, customers who refuse to be metered shall have their power supply disconnected,” he said.