By Femi Anamelechi
The ongoing Free Mass meter Rollout has been a blessing to both Aba Power and its customers, according to the utility’s Managing Director, Ugo Opiegbe. Opiegbe told the staff of Aba Power, Nigeria’s 12th electricity distribution company (DisCo), this morning that the rollout “is a win-win for both the company and customers, all critical business metrics considered. “More and more customers are coming daily to all our physical offices and online platforms from morning to night to express satisfaction and to pay their bills with greater enthusiasm.” Though the MD did not state in the email the revenue generated since the resumption of the smart meter rollout was launched last month, sources in the firm say it has improved considerably. The increase may be up to 15% even though the meters are free, disclosed a manager who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media on the issue.
“What is so important stated the manager, “is not so much the increase in revenue as the satisfaction on the faces of customers despite the general economic and social difficulties in the country.“ People come on their own to pay their monthly bills and commend us for the speed at which the meters are given out free of charge and installed daily. Aba Power plans to install 20,000 smart meters every month and provide new smart meters to at least 100,000 customers in nine of the 17 local government areas in Abia State it serves in what is known as the Aba Ring-fence Area before the year ends.The meters are installed feeder by feeder, with eight of the 30 feeders in the Aba Ring-fenced Area already provided meters “end-to-end”, noted the manager in-charge of the metering team, Engr Alfred Ategie.
Meters are now being given to persons and organizations on the Barracks Feeder and the Abayi Feeder which comprise major areas like the famous Azikiwe Road and Milverton Road. “Even the total cost of metering all the customers by our partners which will cost over N33 billion, is free”, Engr Ategie explained.The meter rollout is implemented by the Kayz Consortium of Nigeria led by Prince Kalu, Eve Metering Company of China run by a Nigerian, Soji Olagunji, DESN and CHINT, both of China.“What the Aba Power Free Smart Meter Rollout has demonstrated”, stated Opiegbe, “is the immense value of transparency and integrity in business operations.“Customers always pay when it’s self-evident that what they are billed is what they have consumed.“Customers, in contrast, are reluctant to pay for estimated bills even when they are billed less than the actual consumption.“Transparency and integrity have no replacements either in personal or business relationships”.
