The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has warned electricity consumers against paying for the replacement of obsolete or faulty meters, emphasising that it is the responsibility of electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to handle such replacements.
In a statement issued on Monday, NERC clarified that as long as consumers have not tampered with their meters, DisCos must replace them at no cost.
NERC’s data revealed that by the end of Q2 2024, only 45 percent (5.99 million) of the 13.19 million registered customers had meters, leaving over seven million reliant on estimated billing.
NERC said it “is aware that some Distribution Companies have instructed customers to apply and pay for the replacement of faulty and obsolete meters within their franchise areas. This instruction contravenes the Commission’s Order No. NERC/246/2021 on the Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete end-use Customer Meters in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
“The Order clearly states that no customer with a meter should be forcefully migrated to estimated billing. If any customer’s meter is adjudged by any DisCo to be obsolete or faulty, it is the responsibility of the DisCo to replace the meter free of charge, provided that the fault was not caused by the customer.
“The Commission restates its commitment to protect customers’ interests and rights by ensuring compliance with established regulatory standards and enforcing regulatory penalties for non-compliance by its licensees”.
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