The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued a strong warning to electricity consumers, advising them not to pay for the replacement of faulty meters. According to NERC, it is the responsibility of electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to replace defective meters at no cost to the customers.
In a statement released on Monday, November 18, NERC clarified that as long as the meter has not been tampered with by the consumer, the utility company must replace it at their own expense.
NERC’s data revealed that by the end of Q2 2024, 45%—or approximately 5.99 million—of the 13.19 million electricity customers had functioning meters, while seven million customers were still subjected to estimated billing.
The Commission also noted that some Distribution Companies have recently instructed customers to apply for and pay for the replacement of faulty or outdated meters. This practice, NERC said, goes against the Commission’s Order No. NERC/246/2021, which mandates the structured replacement of faulty and obsolete meters in Nigeria’s electricity sector.
The Order stipulates that no customer should be moved to estimated billing due to a faulty or obsolete meter unless the fault was caused by the customer. In such cases, it is the sole responsibility of the DisCo to replace the meter free of charge.
NERC reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the rights and interests of electricity consumers by ensuring full compliance with its regulations and taking necessary enforcement actions against DisCos that fail to follow the rules.
