The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC has ordered that henceforth electricity consumers wrongfully disconnected by Distribution Companies will now be compensated with energy credits equivalent to their average consumption for three months for every day they remain without electricity.
The Commission also orders that faulty electricity meters must be repaired or replaced within 48 hours of being reported as it warns DisCos against charging reconnection fees when customers are disconnected without following prescribed procedures.
The directives are part of strategies to improve consumer awareness and enforce compliance with regulations in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry
NERC says the measures are designed to protect consumers and provide guidance on resolving disputes with electricity distribution companies.
On metering, the Commission emphasises that customers who pay upfront for meters under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme must have their meters installed within 10 days of full payment and are entitled to reimbursement through energy credits spread over 120 months, stressing that such credits are not permitted to be offset against existing debts.
It clarifies that meter installation under the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF) and the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) is free to customers and anyone who pays for a meter under these interventions is entitled to a full refund.