…as it comnences phase-2 of the mass metering programme
Aba Power Limited Electric (APLE), an electricity distribution (DISCO) company, in charge of the Aba ring fence area, comprising 9 out of the 17 Local Government Areas of Abia State, is set to to deploy 300,000 pre-paid (non-ending) meters to consumers in the second phase of its mass metering programme.
The mass metering programme according to the company, will eliminate estimated billing, improve supply and check energy theft.
Blessing Ogbe, chief operating officer, Aba Power Limited Electric, in an interview with BusinessDay in Aba said that the company deployed 60,000 meters in the first phase of the programme.
Areas covered in the first phase of the mass metering programme, includes
Owerrinta, Aba East, Aba Township, feeder like Guinness, World Bank and Ehi road.
These feeders have been completely metered.
According to Ogbe, “Before we took over the Aba ring fence, we inherited barely 7000 meters and as at this time, we’ve done over 60,000, including MAP and Mass metering.
He said that the mass metering programme, would be spread across the existing 30 feeders in the Aba ring fence.
Read also: FG expects 3.2 million meters in race to close metering gaps
“We have so far covered 6 feeders out of the 30 feeders in the first phase of the programme. When I say 6 feeders, I mean end to end, meaning starting from the first customer close to the injection sub-station to the last customer at the terminal pole”.
“And we are going into another mass metering programme, which will commence within the month. As we speak, we have taken eventry of about 40,000 meters from two vendors, out of the 3 we are worhing with.
“When we talk about mass metering, it meas metering everyone in the feeder. We will start from the begining to the end. It means that if we have 5000 customers in a feeder, we will ensure that every customer is metered.
Alternatively, he advised energy consumers, who may not want to wait for the mass metering scheme to take advantage of the meter asset programme (MAP), to acquire meter.
The MAP allows consumers to pay for meter and get reimbursed, inform of
energy over 36 equall instalments.
“For the mass metering, we have 3- vendors that are working with us, through the vendor financing model. We will be deploying these meters in 20,000s, as they come”.
This is as he stated that the firm will be deploying not less than 40,000 meters to consumers this (May) month alone and about 100,000 before the end of the year.
Cyprain Amadi, an Aba resident commended APLE for the initiative, noting that it will be practically impossible to achieve system efficiency without consumers efficiency in power system management.
He noted that when consumers are metered that they would develop a consciousness that every energy counts.
“It also translates to reduction in wastage, due to reduction in high energy consumption equipment. I have seen some people sending out their electric stoves, because of cost of energy consumption”, he said.
He observed that any DISCO that intends to improve service and revenue has just one option, which is install free prepaid meters and recover their investment immediately, through improved energy management.
