An energy expert, Mr
Layi Adesina, has  urged the Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) in Lagos to revert to the Credited Advance Payment for Metering (CAPMI) scheme to reduce estimated billings.
Adesina, who is also the Managing Director of Ozone Power Electric Ltd., made the appeal in an interview with newsmen.
The Tide recalls that the scheme was designed by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to fill the gap created by the old metering system as contained in the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) II.
He said that suspension of the metering scheme by the new energy investors had reinvented the problem of arbitrary billing of electricity consumers.
He said that the scheme was introduced to allow electricity customers who were ready to make advance payment acquire prepaid meters within 45 days.
Adesina argued that the importation of pre-paid meters would hinder the growth of domestic manufacturers.
He said that local content policy initiative operational in the nation’s oil and gas industry should be extended energy sector.
The expert said that the implementation of local content initiative in the sector required Federal Government’s prompt intervention, adding that they were capable of meeting local demand in the country.
“DISCOs in Lagos should go back to the scheme targeted at ensuring metering of all households that are willing to pay for meter.
“The only way to ensure adequate billings of electricity tariff to consumers is when everybody is adequately metered in Lagos.
“Therefore, the successful launch of the CAPMI scheme by Lagos DISCOs seems to have hit the rocks.
“As Lagos DISCOs response to installation of pre-paid metering seems not to have been encouraging, which is also leading to over production of pre-paid meters by local manufacturers,’’ he said.
Adesina blamed DISCOs for stopping the scheme, adding that such decision had affected most indigenous meter manufacturing companies who had been assigned to produce meters in anticipation of buying from them.