The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has reiterated that it is the responsibility of Distribution Companies (DisCos) to replace broken or old metres for their customers without charging them.
In a public notice released on Monday, NERC expressed concerns about reports that some DisCos are telling customers to apply and pay for metre replacements in their areas. The commission explained that these instructions go against its Order No. NERC/246/2021, on the Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete End-Use Customer Metres in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
According to the Order, DisCos must replace any metre that is broken or old for free, as long as the problem is not caused by the customer. Also, the Order does not allow DisCos to move customers with metres to estimated billing without their consent.
“If a customer’s metre is found to be outdated or broken by any electricity distribution company, it is the company’s duty to replace the metre at no cost to the customer,” the notice explained.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) stressed its dedication to safeguarding customer rights and interests, making sure companies follow the rules, and imposing penalties on any company that doesn’t comply.
The commission urged customers to report any cases of companies not following the rules to ensure everyone is held accountable and follows the regulations.
