Sierra Leone News: NPA destroys over 20,000 post- paid meters

Politics

The National Power Authority (NPA) has destroyed over 20,000 post-paid meters that were withdrawn from offices, domestic premises and hotels in Freetown. Some staff members including some members of the Authority Board and the media witnessed the crushing ceremony of the meters at their Black Hall Road power station, east of the city on Friday morning. The Authority’s Deputy General Manager, Deniss Garvie, said the meters are no longer useful to the Authority and that “we have move away from post-paid meters to pre-paid meters”. He added that the Authority has installed about 42,000 (forty-two thousand) pre-paid meters to get away with post-paid meters that are in the system. The Deputy General Manager said with the post-paid meters, it is difficult for customers to pay their correct bills even though there are few customers who pay their correct bills. He stated that with the pre-paid meters, customers pay their bills upfront and this has also helped the Authority to collect debts owed by customers who were using post-paid meters. The Public Relations Officer, Victor Winston- Clarke, said that with the post-paid meters, it is difficult for NPA to trace customers that move from one house to another to pay their bills. He said that the Authority is experiencing the problem of reading meters, people stealing electricity, illegal connections and interference into the system with post-paid meters. Winston- Clarke added that the Authority has put structures in place to remove all post-paid meters in the system and replace them with pre-paid meters in the whole country. By Abibatu Kamara Monday February 17, 2014

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