The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has ruled in favour of electricity consumers, directing distribution companies (DisCos) to reimburse a total of ₦20.33bn in outstanding meter payments.
The directive, contained in Order No: NERC/2026/025 — which revises the earlier 2023 order — was signed on 27 February 2026 by NERC Chairman, Musiliu Oseni, and the Commissioner for Legal, Licensing and Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye.
Under the new order, DisCos are required to recover and fully repay the sum to affected customers within 12 months, beginning 1 March 2026.
Under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme, customers pay upfront for meters, with the cost refunded through energy credits from their respective DisCos. However, the commission observed that reimbursements have progressed at an unsatisfactory pace over the years, prompting regulatory intervention.
NERC disclosed that as at 31 December 2025, DisCos had yet to refund ₦20.33bn owed to customers who procured meters under the MAP framework.
The commission stated that the order aims to eliminate recurring reimbursement delays, improve customer notification processes and reinforce confidence in the electricity sector.
“In February 2026, the commission reviewed the level of compliance of DisCos with the expected reimbursement to customers who have paid for meters under the MAP framework.
According to the new order, DisCos have an outstanding amount of ₦20.33bn to reimburse customers for meters procured under the MAP framework as at 31 December 2025.”
NERC further directed that all reimbursements must be fully automated on customers’ accounts. It stated: “DisCos shall ensure that the total cost of a MAP meter is recognised as credit on the customer’s account upon activation of the meter and disbursed automatically as monthly credits over the approved amortisation period.”
The order makes clear that reimbursement credits must not be applied to settle existing customer debts.
“DisCos shall not offset meter reimbursement credits against customer legacy debts; the items must be treated separately,” it stated.
For prepaid customers, DisCos are required to automatically generate monthly tokens reflecting the reimbursement amount, while postpaid customers must see the refund listed as a separate credit item on their bills.
NERC explained: “For customers with prepaid meters, no later than the 4th day of every month, the DisCo’s billing system will automatically generate a token with an energy value equivalent to the monthly reimbursement which the customer is due to receive over the 120-month amortisation period based on the prevailing tariff for the customer.
“For post-paid customers, the monthly reimbursement of the cost of a MAP meter shall appear as a distinct credit line item which is expected to be subtracted from the customer’s total payable for the month.”
The regulator also mandated monthly compliance reports and instructed all DisCos to create dedicated email addresses for customer complaints regarding unpaid reimbursements.
“All DisCos shall file monthly reports with the Commission detailing the total monetary value of the reimbursement to customers through energy credit, in accordance with the template approved by the Commission.
“All DisCos shall establish a dedicated email address for the receipt of complaints from customers who have not received MAP meter cost reimbursements. Details of such complaints, including the status of their resolution, shall form part of the monthly compliance reports submitted to the commission,” it said.
To clear the ₦20.33bn arrears, DisCos must fast-track repayment over a 12-month period. The order specifies that prepaid customers will receive two tokens monthly, while postpaid customers will have two reimbursement entries reflected on their bills.
“To recover the sum of N20.33bn that was not reimbursed to customers as at 31 December 2025, DisCos shall accelerate the rate of recovery for the affected customers over a 12-month period commencing from 1 March 2026,” the order added.