Our attention is drawn to information circulating on social media referring to fake electricity meters.

The electricity meters in question were verified in line with The Weights and Measures (Electricity Meters) Rules, 2015 as part of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) routine activities.  It was established that 6,000 out of the 6,500 new meters tested between July and December, 2017 were faulty and needed corrective actions as directed by UNBS following the verification exercise.  

The meters that fail the tests are not allowed for installation on the network until the suppliers have addressed remedial actions recommended, and the meters have passed the tests upon being resubmitted to UNBS. The meters that fail completely are seized for destruction. This process is meant to ensure the accuracy of the meters before installation on the network and more importantly, to prevent fake meters from coming onto the market. The meters that had failed were rectified and allowed onto the market.

A field verification process is underway to test the in-service meters with the aim of determining whether the accuracy of these meters is still within the requirements of The Weights and Measures (Electricity Meters) Rules; and where this is not the case, UNBS will require removal of such meters from service and inform the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) accordingly.