● Why are consumers paying for meters when there is a meter acquisition fund?”
– Princewill Okorie
Power distribution companies in Nigeria have raised the prices of various electricity meter models, making it the second price increase in just four months.
According to the Discos, the cost of a single-phase meter has risen from approximately N117,000 to as much as N149,800.
This amount indicates an increase of 28.03 per cent or N32,800, depending on the distribution company and meter vendor.
This price hike follows a previous increase in August 2024, intensifying concerns among electricity consumers regarding affordability and accessibility.
An analysis of the documents done by PUNCH revealed that meter prices vary across Discos, influenced by vendors and meter models (single-phase and three-phase).
Eko Disco pegged the price of its single-phase meter between N135,987.5 and N161,035, while a three-phase meter was pegged between N226,600 and N266,600.
Ibadan Disco said customers will pay between N130,998 and N142,548 for a single-phase meter and N226,556.25–NN232,008 for a three-phase-meter.
Customers under Abuja Disco will pay N123,130.53 – NN147,812.5 for single-phase meters and N206,345.65 – NN236,500 for three-phase meters.
Kano Electricity Distribution said its customers will pay N127,925–N129,999 for a single-phase meter and N223,793–NN235,425 for a three-phase meter.
Lastly, Kaduna Disco said N131,150 — N142,548.94 would be paid for single-phase meters and N220,375 — N232,008.04 for three-phase meters.
According to the report by Punch, The Executive Director of the Electricity Consumers Protection and Advocacy Centre, Princewill Okorie, rejected the new meter prices, saying there are no justifications for it.
He emphasized that the Discos were given N59bn from the N200bn earmarked for the National Mass Metering Programme in 2020, saying they only paid back N7bn.
What do you want me to say? They keep increasing the meter price, why are they wicked? N200bn was earmarked for the NMMP that was to be implemented in three phases. Only the pilot phase of N59bn was implemented. And what the 11 Discos could pay back was only N7bn. What did they use the rest of the money for?
“Since after that N59bn, what has happened to the rest of the money when you removed N59bn from N200bn? Are they not the same people who are paying for this meter that are paying for the shortfall as part of their electricity bills? The regulator increased the tariff, saying they wanted the Discos to get money to pay back the loan. Who are the people that got the meters?
“Let them stop taking Nigerians as fools. The meter acquisition fund, what did they use it for? So, it’s not justified at all. I don’t know why they want to keep inflicting punishment on Nigerian consumers. Let them account for the N200bn for the national mass metering programme,” he said.
Okorie argued that “in other countries, how much is a meter? What is the price of a one-phase meter or three-phase compared to what they are asking Nigerians to pay?”
When told that the exchange rate was blamed for the meter price hike, he replied, “The N200bn, where is it? Is it the exchange rate that made the Discos not pay back the N59bn loan? Between 2020 and 2024, they were only able to pay N7bn. Why are consumers paying for meters when there is a meter acquisition fund?”
