The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has clarified that it is the responsibility of electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to replace faulty customers’ meters at no cost.
This announcement was made in a public notice on Monday.
NERC highlighted that some DisCos have been instructing customers to apply and pay for the replacement of faulty and obsolete meters within their service areas.
This practice according to NERC, violates the Commission’s Order No. NERC/246/2021, which mandates the Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete End-use Customer Meters in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
According to the Order, no customer with a meter should be forcefully switched 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.” It stated.
“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.
“We urge customers to report cases of non-compliance to the Order by any DisCo.”
This announcement follows a recent directive from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to Ikeja and Eko Electricity Distribution Companies (IKEDC and EKEDC) to halt all activities related to the planned replacement of Unistar meters.
The FCCPC stated that these DisCos cannot proceed with the withdrawal or replacement of Unistar meters unless they fully comply with NERC’s Order No. NERC/246/2021.
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