NIGERIA: PAYING FOR ENERGY BEFORE YOU USE IT.

A few weeks ago the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) began the installation of prepayment Electronic Energy Meter in my Area. However, on the 21st August I came home only to find that the prepayment meter had been installed in my house. My old meter unit had been replaced with two impressive looking units by technicians of the PHCN.

The smaller unit called the monitor unit displays information about your credit level with the PHCN. The monitor unit is also used for loading credit into your meter. The other unit called the metering unit is the main meter unit.

Having used this new prepayment meter for about three weeks I have noticed a change in my attitude to using energy. I have also noticed similar changes in my neighbors and most other Nigerians who have had the privilege or nightmare of using the new PHCN prepayment meter.

I am now more conscious of my energy consumption. I switch off any appliance that is not in use. I now switch off the light in my bathroom and toilet which used to be on from night till morning. Switching off my security light is now in my to-do list every morning. I am not the only one who has changed, people living around my area have also been thought a lesson or two by this new prepayment energy meter from the PHCN.

These days the streets are dark at night, even when there is power, which is a pity. Most people do not turn on their security lights at night, which used to light up the city. These days the only light you see on at night is the light from the TV.

It is quite surprising to see how a pair of electronic gadget can cause tremendous behavioral change in a community. Because we now know that we will pay for every unit of energy we use, we are now more conscious of our energy consumption. In addition because we know that our power supply will automatically trip off if we run out of energy credit with the PHCN, we now manage our available energy credit with caution.




This behavioral change is positive. At least the demand on the PHCN is bound to reduce. The PHCN can now know what the real energy demand in Nigeria is.
However, some Nigerians have overreacted in their attempt to save energy. How else do you explain a situation where people shut off their security light at night, endangering their lives and the lives of others? Security lights are supposed to provide illumination for you to see the outside of your house without being seen. The security light can also deter opportunistic thieves, snakes and other harmful creatures from your house. Of what use is saving energy if your loved one is beaten by a snake because of poor illumination?

I would not be surprised if some parents, in their attempt to save energy are no longer allowing their kids to study at night. Nigerians will have to look for more innovative ways of saving energy. Shutting off the security light is definitely not the way.

The way forward is to buy energy efficient devices. Currently there are light bulbs that consume just 6 watts (10% as much energy as a 60 watts incandescent bulb). There are also television sets that use less than 25 watts. Investing in such energy efficient devices can reduce your energy consumption without necessarily reducing your quality of life.

Also available are systems that can automatically switch off light not currently being used. These systems can sense the presence of someone in a room and automatically switch on the light. Similarly such a system can sense someone leaving a room and automatically switch off the light. Such systems can considerably reduce ones power consumption.





However, it is not only the consumer that has changed. The PHCN has also changed. There has been a noticeable improvement in Electric energy supply in my area. Perhaps the PHCN officials now know that the only way for them to make money is to supply electric energy to its consumers. The days of estimated bills are over. The income of the PHCN will now be directly proportional to the amount of energy they supply to the consumers. It means that once again the Nigerian consumer is king.

But as we celebrate the new energy meter we must also ensure that the much talked about Nigerian factor does not creep its ugly head. The PHCN must ensure that they have enough capacity to manage an Electronic prepayment energy metering system.

The supply of energy meter should be open. I will like to see a situation were one will be able to buy an electronic energy prepayment meter off the shelf in say a supermarket. The present situation, were the PHCN has monopoly to supply the electronic energy prepayment meters is not ideal. Nigerians must be allowed to shop for these meters at the price they can afford. PHCN should in such a situation collaborate with the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) to ensure that all available meters are certified.

An open system like this will reduce corruption (political interference) and free PHCN to focus on its main responsibility of generating, transmitting and distributing energy. This will also allow for innovation, since people will come up with different designs that will meet the needs and pocket of the consumer.


This new Electronic Energy Pre-payment meter by PHCN is good for Nigeria. It will definitely make Nigerians more energy conscious. It will reduce corruption in the PHCN by forcing them to focus more on power generation and distribution. I urge all Nigerians to accept this new development, because at the end of the day we will be the winners.