The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has clarified that electricity distribution companies (DisCos) are responsible for replacing faulty or obsolete customer meters at no cost to the customer.
This was stated in a public notice issued by NERC on Monday, following reports that some DisCos have been instructing customers to apply and pay for meter replacements. NERC emphasized that such practices violate its 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 explicitly prohibits any customer with a meter from being forcefully migrated to estimated billing.
According to NERC:
- DisCos must replace any faulty or obsolete meter free of charge, provided the fault was not caused by the customer.
- Customers’ rights and interests are protected, and penalties will be enforced against DisCos that fail to comply with these regulations.
NERC encouraged customers to report cases of non-compliance to ensure accountability.
This announcement aligns with a recent directive from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to Ikeja and Eko DisCos (IKEDC and EKEDC). The FCCPC instructed these companies to halt all plans to replace Unistar meters unless they fully comply with NERC’s Order.
The regulatory bodies reaffirm their commitment to ensuring fair and lawful practices in the electricity sector.
