CWG Plc. has provided smart metering solution as an answer to the Electricity Distribution companies (DisCos’) N30billion revenue deficit monthly due to energy theft.
Recall that at the maiden roundtable on the Nigerian Power Sector organised by Sahara Group Limited held in June 2018 in Lagos, Ikeja Electric Plc, disclosed that DisCos across the country are losing huge amount of revenue to energy theft and government’s fixed pricing per unit of electricity.
Lamenting the challenges facing the sector, the Group Managing Director (GMD), Sahara Power, Kola Adesina said there was need to develop a purpose driven, credible and coherent framework to solve the problem.
Thus, CWG has keyed into the call by developing smart metering solution that will add value to DisCos’ operation, meet and exceed their customer’s expectation too.
Similarly, the product will create multiple streams of revenue for the DisCos.
The Group CEO, CWG Plc. Mr. James Agada, speaking at a media parley with Nigerian IT Reporters Association (NITRA) held at the CWG‘s Head office in Lagos, said that smart meters contain other communication systems capable of providing other services like WiFi Hotspots.
According to him,” we are building meters that can create additional revenue streams for the DisCos.
“Some of our meters come with the capability to provide WiFi hotspot.
“Once you have WiFi in an area, and you can stream video, you can do a lot of other services.
“You can run advert which can generate revenue for the discos.
He emphasized that DisCos cannot make sustainable profits with just selling electricity to its consumers without making provision for value added service that could deliver additional services to its customers.
He urged these companies to use their meters to deliver additional services or buying the right kind of meters that can for instance deliver WiFi internet connectivity to people’s homes, adding that with internet connectivity, you can stream videos and do other services.
He added the DisCos can use their infrastructures like poles to provide services for telecommunication companies and make additional revenues for its self.
Agada noted that DisCos have right of way to their customer houses which they can offer to any company who wants to do fiber to homes.
He revealed that the technology as part of its value added services embedded in it can stop power tapping and also monitor and detect when there is tapping theft.
“It is technology that can stop power tapping; we can monitor and detect when there is tapping theft.
“Then, we can identify where it is coming from and then the DisCos can take action.
“If you don’t deploy that technology there is no way you are going to stop power tapping,” he stated.
On his part, the Vice President, Corporate Development, CWG, Daniel Das, said that the smart metering solution they are bringing to the markets combines software for capturing data and also the system for helping people remotely disconnect, reconnect their meters, recharge them without having to manually punching the keys.
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