By Erewunmi Peace

The Federal Government has directed that all electricity meters must be installed free of charge for consumers nationwide and warned that anyone found demanding payment for meter installation will face prosecution and sanctions.

The announcement was made by Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, during an inspection of newly imported smart electricity meters at APM Terminals, Apapa, Lagos. The meters are being distributed under the World Bank-assisted Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP).

“No one should collect money from any consumer for meter installation,” Adelabu said, stressing that such practices are illegal. He warned that electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and their installers must not charge fees directly or indirectly from customers.

Under the directive, confirmed cases of extortion will result in sanctions and legal action.

The government is also establishing customer complaint desks and working with regulatory authorities to ensure compliance and monitor the free installation rollout.

The smart meters are part of a nationwide initiative to close the metering gap, reduce estimated billing, and increase billing transparency and consumer confidence in the electricity sector. The DISREP programme is expected to roll out millions of meters over the next few years to achieve these goals.