The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has declared that it is the responsibility of electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to replace faulty customer meters at no cost to the customers.
In a public notice issued on Monday, NERC clarified that it was aware of instances where some DisCos had instructed customers to apply and pay for the replacement of faulty or outdated meters within their service areas. The commission emphasized that this directive violates its Order No. NERC/246/2021, which mandates the structured replacement of faulty and obsolete meters in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
The Order also stipulates that no customer with a functioning meter should be subjected 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.
“We urge customers to report cases of non-compliance to the Order by any DisCo,” it stated.
This follows the recent directive of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to Ikeja and Eko electricity distribution companies (IKEDC and EKEDC) to immediately cease all activities related to the planned replacement of Unistar meters that may be flouted.
The Commission stated that the Ikeja and Eko DisCos cannot proceed with the withdrawal or replacement of the Unistar meters unless they fully comply with NERC’s Order on Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete End-user Customer Meters in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (Order No. NERC/246/2021).