The Egyptian Electricity Holding Company decided to extend the period of inspections and payment for measurements of the coded electricity meters for two months.
Husseini al-Far, a member of the Electricity Distribution Sector, informed Daily News Egypt that the deadline for payment of measurements and conducting inspections of all distribution companies has been extended for two months, ending in February, so that all applicants will be able to pay in the coming period.
The period was set to end in December, but some companies witnessed a large turnout and will need more time to conduct inspections and receive measurements’ payments.
He added that the Council of Ministers is the competent authority to open the door to receive new applications for the installation of the meters, noting that a detailed memorandum was sent to the minister of electricity, which includes the current and anticipated situation of the meters, to be submitted to the Council of Ministers.
Furthermore, the electricity sector, through the installation of pre-paid coded meters in informal settlements, was able to eliminate part of the financial losses incurred from electricity thefts, indicated al-Far.
Moreover, the Council of Ministers’ decision granted the installation of pre-paid coded meters based on their requests until 30 June 2018. The total number of installed pre-paid coded meters amounted to 1.8m.
The conditions laid down by the Council of Ministers included that buildings should not be located on artefacts, roads, state lands, or in violation of civil aviation terms.
The controls include the addition of buildings on agricultural land and to supply them with electricity until local councils come to a decision regarding each case separately. The required paperwork includes an approval from the case district, a copy of the national ID card, and the property ownership contract.
Installing coded meters in informal settlements is carried out once users sign a declaration that the meter does not count as a legal document, and that the property is not in violation of any laws. The meter is not registered to the consumers’ names, however, it bears a serial number.
