The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), on Thursday said it had supplied 246,587 customers with prepaid meters out of the 501,532 customers within its network as at August 2019.

The General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr Godwin Idemudia, made this known exclusive interview with TBI Africa in Lagos.

Idemudia said the company had engaged the service of seven Meter Asset Providers (MAP) operators which include Mojec, Armese, Bendoriks, Gospell, IRL,Turbo and CIG.

He said three out of the seven MAPs appointed for the company by the regulators had commenced operations.

The spokesman said: ‘’They have done their pre-installation survey which have been validated. MAPs are to supply meters.’’

He also said that in spite of the company’s efforts in ensuring that customers within its network were supplied with meters in no distant time, EKEDC’s debt profile remained on the high side.

Idemudia said the company’s debt profile as at the third quarter of 2019 stood at N65 billion as a result of some customers not paying for the electricity consumed within its network.

According to him, the MDAs debt to-date stands at N22.5 billion.

He identified metering gap, restive customers or hostility in certain areas and agitation from pressure groups as constraints affecting EKEDC’s collection of payments.

Idemudia noted that others include non-payment by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs); limitations by National Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) regulations; and entitlements by consumers due to the post-mentality of government-owned defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA).

He also identified price ceiling as one of the reasons mitigating the prepaid metering processes in the country.

Idemudia said the regulators had noted that if the MAPs go ahead to sell the meters at a higher rate, the Distribution Companies (DisCos) would bear the balance.

The spokesman explained that the price ceiling had prolonged negotiation between the DisCos and some of the MAP operators, while another major challenge had been funding.

‘’However, the Federal Government in its wisdom came up with the MAP scheme as a permanent solution and we are excited to see the outcome of the initiative,’’ he said.

Idemudia, however, noted that meter installation under the MAP scheme is in progress within the company’s network.

According to him, the DisCo has arrested and prosecuted 13 customers for vandalism and 12 for energy theft in the last six months.

NERC had on April 5 directed all DisCos to commence the distribution of prepaid meters under MAP not later than May 1, 2019.