The federal government has banned distribution companies (DisCos) and meter installers across the country from charging consumers any fees for installing meters, warning offenders will face prosecution.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu gave the directive on Thursday, January 22, while inspecting a batch of newly imported smart meters at the APM terminal in Apapa, Lagos.
The meters were procured under the World Bank-funded Distribution Sector Recovery Program (DISREP) to close Nigeria’s meter gap and increase transparency in electricity billing.
Adelabu stressed that all meters provided under the scheme must be installed free of charge, regardless of customer category.
“It is illegal for any disco official or installer to ask for a dime from consumers before installation. These meters must be distributed and installed completely free of charge,” he said.
He revealed that around 500,000 new smart meters have arrived, adding to previous deliveries under the programme.
The plan aims to procure 3.4 million meters in two phases. Of the first batch of 1.43 million meters, nearly 1 million meters have been delivered to Nigeria, and about 150,000 meters have been installed across the country.
