The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has reminded Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) that it is their obligation to replace customers’ faulty meters at no cost to the customers.
This statement, issued on Monday, comes in response to rising complaints from DisCo customers regarding faulty meters and billing issues.
In a related development, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) recently cautioned Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) and Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) against violating directives on outdated meters.
Reacting to these issues, NERC reiterated that any directive requiring customers to pay for the replacement of faulty meters violates *Order No. NERC/246/2021* on the Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete End-Use Customer Meters within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
“The order explicitly states that no customer with a meter should be forcefully migrated to estimated billing. If a meter is deemed obsolete or faulty by any DisCo, it is the DisCo’s responsibility to replace the meter at no cost to the customer, provided the fault was not caused by the customer,” NERC stated.
The Commission emphasized its commitment to safeguarding customers’ rights and interests by ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and imposing penalties on DisCos that fail to meet these obligations.
Customers have been urged to report any cases of non-compliance with the order by DisCos to the Commission for appropriate action.
