Energy theft: DISCOs urged to use smart meters

Techno Gas and Power has advised the electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) to deploy smarter prepaid metering systems to solve power theft and other vices such as meter overloading.
Managing Director of the company who gave the advise, Sir Collins Onyeama, said the use of smarter prepaid meters would check excesses and guarantee accountability in the industry as far as electricity consumption is concerned.
Techno Gas and Power recently sealed a deal with a Bulgarian company, Incotex, to manufacture prepaid meters to meet the needs of millions of electricity consumers in Nigeria.
He said the move would also solve the problem of pre-paid meters melting while in use, saying when smarter meters were used, they would automatically shut down if overloaded.
He said admitted that the metering gap in the country was still very wide, and that the situation provided a huge opportunity for businesses with the capacity to produce prepaid meters of global standards.
He described its deal with Incotex as the strategic move was in line with the ongoing federal government’s power sector reforms.
He stressed that it was not only licensed to manufacture meters but also licensed to install the meters as well as vend/bill application providers.
“The planned meters would bring succour to Nigerian investors because they are tamper-proof and so the practice of many consumers to bypass meters and connect directly would be a thing of the past. The meters would read even when it has been bypassed by the customer and at very low voltage thus saving energy,” he said.
“We entered the partnership with the Bulgarian firm to ensure that consumers in a very short period can have their meters after purchase.”
He said the setting up of the meter manufacturing factory would put a stop to unwholesome dumping of low quality metering solutions in Nigeria, create job for the teeming Nigerians as well as provide a veritable avenue for the injection of value to the unbundling programme of the government on the power sector.
“We are all aware of the discomfort suffered by millions of electricity consumers nationwide, who are unable to get electricity meters due to no fault of theirs.”
The company was among the few successful companies licensed by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to manufacture metering systems in Nigeria under the auspices of the Credit Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) scheme.