POWER: STAKEHOLDERS MOVE TO ELIMINATE ESTIMATED BILLING

They also promised to publish details of their metering progress at regular intervals.

Position of the stakeholders was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the 5th monthly meeting of the Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola with operators of the power Sector at Shiroro Hydroelectric plant, in Niger State.

“As part of efforts to eliminate estimated billing of electricity consumers, the Distribution Companies agreed to redouble their metering roll out plans in a progressive and sustainable manner by raising additional funding for this purpose. To this end, Distribution Companies are to publicise details of their metering progress at regular intervals’’, the communiqué stated.

The Distribution Companies (DisCos) reiterated their commitment to reinvigorate efforts at strengthening the Customer Complaints Units (CCUs) in order to achieve efficient customer confidence through constant public enlightenment.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) announced that it will collaborate with Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader (NBET) and the Market Operator (TCN/MO) to implement ranking criteria in order to assess the safety and payment performance of Distribution Companies (DisCos).

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced progress on 106 critical projects identified by distribution and generation companies to improve the transmission of power to Nigerian households. “Included in these projects are repairs of the Owerri/Ahoada/Yenagoa line which now connects the newly commissioned Gbarain plant to the grid. It also announced completion of repairs to transmission projects in Ajah, Akoka, Afam and Kanji’’, the communiqué noted.

A representative of Shell stated that the repairs on the Forcados export line is still scheduled to be completed on May 29 2016 and that repairs to this pipeline will be vital to improving the current power situation and will be closely monitored by the meeting secretariat.
Shell also announced that it is supplying gas to Gbarain power plant which just started generating electricity.