Following prolonged disputes over estimated billing and malfunctioning meters, the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, has confirmed that it will resume deploying over 55,000 free prepaid meters to its customers.
The rollout, which falls under Tranche B of the Meter Acquisition Fund, MAF, and Phase 1 of the Distribution Sector Recovery Program, DISREP, is set to begin in the coming days as part of efforts to significantly reduce Nigeria’s metering deficit.
In a statement issued by Angela Olanrewaju, the company’s Coordinating Head of Corporate Services, IBEDC disclosed that 33,450 smart meters will be provided through the MAF Tranche B, while another 22,104 meters will be delivered under the DISREP Phase 1.
The MAF deployment prioritizes unmetered customers on Band A feeders, while the DISREP initiative covers customers in Bands A and B.
The company emphasized that both the meters and the installation process are entirely free of charge, cautioning customers not to pay installers or staff under any circumstances.
“The meters are completely free, and installation is also free. Customers must not make any form of payment to anyone. Anyone requesting money should be reported via [email protected] or [email protected],” it said in the statement.
IBEDC clarified that the MAF is funded through a market-supported mechanism created by NERC to help distribution companies address the metering shortfall across the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
The initiative works alongside the Presidential Metering Initiative and differs from the Meter Asset Provider scheme because MAF meters require no customer payment.
Customers are urged to allow installers access to their premises once proper identification is presented, as denial of access may result in disconnection. The company also warned against tampering with the new devices, classifying such actions as energy theft that carry steep penalties.
While customers with outstanding arrears are advised to visit IBEDC offices for resolution to ensure a smooth transition to prepaid billing, the company assured that unpaid bills will not prevent anyone from receiving a meter.
“No customer will be denied a meter on account of outstanding bills. Arrears will be managed in line with Company’s debt settlement policy and established procedures,” the statement noted.
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