The Nigerian Federal Government has mandated electricity distribution companies (Discos) to replace outdated electricity meters, following technology upgrades. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) clarified that although no official directive has been issued for the phasing out of Unistar meters, these meters will soon become obsolete due to technological advancements.
NERC emphasized that Discos must replace any meters being phased out to ensure customers’ metering needs are met without service interruptions. With Nigeria facing a significant metering gap of about seven million, some Discos have urged customers to acquire new meters before a November 14 deadline.
Musiliu Oseni, NERC’s Vice Chairman, explained that the main issue stems from the Token Identifier Rollover, which could prevent customers from purchasing electricity if not resolved. Since Unistar meters are not upgradeable, their replacement is inevitable, but Discos are required to provide customers with new meters during the transition period.
Oseni further assured that no customer should be subjected to estimated billing or denied access to electricity during this process. If customers need to purchase new meters through the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) framework, Discos must offer a clear refund mechanism.
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