As part of efforts to bridge the metering gap in electricity sector, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (Eko Disco) has launched the Credited Advanced Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) with Mojec International Limited, a leading metering company in Nigeria.

Addressing stakeholders at the launching of the scheme, Managing Director of Eko Disco, Mr. Oladele Amoda, said the scheme was necessary to urgently address complaints by consumers about estimated billing and other components of service delivery by the company.

He explained the scheme implied that consumers could apply and pay for meters, which will be installed within 48 hours and get their money reimbursed over a period of time as a means of discount on their electricity consumption.

Amoda said the scheme had not overridden the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) introduced in June 2012. The MYTO scheme provides that no one pays for the meter as it is supplied free to consumers and paid for as tariff on monthly basis.

The EKDC boss explained due to lack of funds to procure enough meters from manufacturers at the moment, CAPMI would enable consumers get it by paying at first and get refunded over a period of time.

The company has therefore partnered Mojec International and Momas Electricity Metering Company to execute the scheme.

The CAPMI Scheme is optional and was designed as an alternative for consumers who are willing to advance money to their distribution companies for speedy installations of prepaid meters. Customers are then refunded for the cost of the meter by way of monthly reductions on the fixed charge elements on their electricity bills over time. Mojec International was among the meter manufacturing companies accredited by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission and was selected alongside Momas Metering Company by Eko Disco after a rigorous bidding process

Managing Director of Mojec, Ms. Chantelle Abdul, said the company considered it a great privileged to had been selected to participate in the scheme.

She said: "Mojec International is chiefly known on the continent as a market leader in the metering business. Always on the forefront of latest metering technology, Mojec with its international partners produces a variety of meters ranging from Maximum Demand, Whole Current, Prepaid Meters, automatic Meter Reading System and Automatic Metre Infrastructure".

She said her company would be deploying intelligent meters, which allows consumers to know and monitor their power consumption as they deem fit as the meters are built on Power Line Carrier Technology.

Mojec engineers according to her, were well-trained at home and broad and they could handle all consumer needs as regards their meter and power consumption.

The Eko Disco management with other stakeholders after the meeting went to a residence in Ikoyi area of Lagos and watch as Mojec International installed sixteen prepaid meters in a private residence.