NERC warns DisCos against charging customers for faulty meter replacement

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued a stern warning to electricity distribution companies (DisCos) over the reported directive asking customers to pay for the replacement of faulty and obsolete meters.

In a statement via its official X handle on Monday, NERC emphasised that such instruction “contravenes the Commission’s Order No. NERC/246/2021, Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete end-use Customer Meters in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry”, which mandates DisCos to handle meter replacements at no cost to customers.

According to the Commission, the order explicitly prohibits the forced migration of customers with faulty meters to estimated billing systems.

It clarified that where a meter is deemed faulty or obsolete, it is the responsibility of the DisCo to replace it free of charge, provided the fault is not due to customer negligence.

The announcement followed the growing customer complaints and alleged non-compliance by some DisCos. Many customers have raised concerns over being forced to pay for replacements, a practice that NERC describes as illegal and unacceptable.

“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,” the statement noted.

NERC also urged affected customers to report non-compliance cases directly to the Commission through phone numbers and email addresses provided to enable swift action against any DisCo violating the order.