Deployment of Smart Meters and Demand Response Management at Eko Electricity Distribution Company

This study evaluates the deployment experience and demand response management potential associated with the rollout of smart meters by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. EKEDC's smart meter rollout programme forms part of the broader Nigerian Distribution Sector Recovery Programme, and understanding the practical deployment challenges and the demand flexibility achievable through time-of-use tariffs is critical to evaluating the programme's return on investment. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining analysis of EKEDC's smart meter installation and data collection records for 5,000 smart-metered customers with a questionnaire survey of 200 residential and commercial customers regarding their billing experience and behavioural response to time-of-use tariff signals. Smart meter data were analysed to characterise load profiles and quantify peak demand contributions from residential customers. Findings show that smart meter data quality was satisfactory for 87 percent of installed meters, with communication failures attributed to poor GSM signal coverage in affected areas. Time-of-use tariff analysis demonstrates a potential peak demand reduction of up to 12 percent if 30 percent of flexible residential loads are shifted from the evening peak to the off-peak period. Customer survey results indicate that bill predictability and transparency improved significantly after smart meter installation, though time-of-use tariff response requires sustained customer education programmes. Recommendations include expanding GSM repeater coverage to improve meter communication reliability and designing a structured demand response incentive scheme for large commercial customers. Keywords: smart meter, demand response, time-of-use tariff, EKEDC, electricity distribution.