The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has firmly denounced electricity Distribution Companies’ (DisCos) attempts to force customers to pay for meter replacements, asserting that such actions directly violate established regulatory guidelines.
In a statement released on Monday via its official X account, NERC condemned the practice of instructing customers to bear the financial burden of replacing faulty or obsolete meters, describing it as a clear regulatory infringement.
“This instruction contravenes the Commission’s Order No. NERC/246/2021 on the Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete end-use Customer Meters in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry,” the regulatory body emphasized.
The regulatory order unequivocally mandates that DisCos are responsible for replacing defective or outdated meters at no cost to customers, with a critical caveat: the meter’s fault must not stem from customer negligence.
“The Order clearly states that no customer with a meter should be forcefully migrated 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,” NERC’s statement added.
The ongoing dispute has intensified as electricity distribution companies like Ikeja Electric (IE) announced plans to phase out older Unistar prepaid meters, citing technical issues such as the Token Identifier (TID) rollover problem. Initially, customers were requested to pay between N134,000 and N224,000 for replacements, triggering significant consumer resistance and regulatory intervention.
Recognizing the potential financial strain on consumers, NERC, alongside the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), has intervened decisively.
The regulatory bodies have reiterated that DisCos must replace faulty or obsolete meters without charging customers, ensuring service continuity and consumer protection.
The directive explicitly prohibits placing customers on estimated billing during meter replacement processes, a move designed to prevent potential exploitation and ensure transparent, fair electricity service delivery.
To facilitate consumer rights and encourage accountability, NERC has established multiple reporting channels for customers experiencing non-compliance:
“We urge customers to report cases of non-compliance to the Order by any DisCo through the following channels:
“Phone: 07000 CALL NERC (07000 2255 6372), 0201 344 4331, 0908 899 9244
“Email: complaints@nerc.gov.ng”
The regulatory commission has also warned of severe penalties for DisCos found violating the established order, signaling a committed stance towards protecting electricity consumers’ interests in Nigeria.
