The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), has kicked off  the distribution of 104,000 free meters under the Federal Government National Metering Scheme.

A total of one million meters are reportedly being rolled out in the first batch of the mass metering of customers across the country.

According to The Punch, the Head, Customers Support of IBEDC,  Ayo Adio, in an interview with journalists, warned electricity consumers against lobbying or cutting corners to get meters as such attempts would fail.

He said, “We are here to launch the National Mass Metering for the Federal Government. These are free meters; so, customers are not paying for it. The essence is to discourage estimated billing that a lot of customers have been complaining about. We believe that within few weeks, most of the customers that are designated for meters will have them installed in their premises.

“We have our distribution strategy so that it will not depend on ‘man know man’. It will be such that areas that have been designated will be metered as they are supplied.

“The customers that don’t have meters on the transformer will all fully be metered before we move to the next. You won’t have the opportunity of getting connected through any senior officer. It is an organised way of meeting our customers’ needs. There is nothing anybody can do to fast track it.

“This is the first batch of one million free meters. What we have for Ibadan Disco is 104,000. As we take delivery within the next few weeks, we will distribute to our customers.”

He added, “Under this system, it is not possible for any of our staff to be mischievous because we are going to keep track as we meter any customer. It will get everywhere. People just have to be patient.

“The strategy that we have employed is to look at a particular area and meter all the customers that are unmetered.

“Our focus is on people who don’t have meters. We can meter those with faulty meters. There is no point to change analogue meters that are not faulty.”

He stated that the era of paying for meters had passed, adding that those who had paid but were yet to be metered would be refunded through conversion of their money to unit.