The Bola Tinubu-led government via the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has announced the approval of N21 billion for the eleven electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to provide meters to end-use customers at no cost.

The N21 billion represents the initial tranche of disbursement, focusing on unmetered Band A customers over the next few months.

The initiative led to the creation of a Meter Acquisition Fund. Funds accumulated in this initiative will be allocated to DisCos to expedite the bridging of the metering gap across the country.

The provision of meters is expected to significantly reduce the reliance on estimated billing, which has been a contentious issue for consumers.

Also, accurate metering will help DisCos minimize commercial losses and improve collection efficiency.

More importantly, the overall improvement in the metering infrastructure is expected to enhance the quality of services provided to customers, benefiting all bands.

”This development will not only reduce estimated billing in the country but also reduce commercial and collection losses to DISCOS thereby leading to improved services which is expected to trickle down to other bands,” presidential media aide, Dada Olusegun, said in a social media post.