Electricity consumers will face fines starting at N100,000 for bypassing their prepaid meters or engaging in illegal connections, as stated by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
This information was included in a recently released amended order addressing unauthorized access, meter tampering, and bypassing.
Fines will vary between N100,000 and N300,000, depending on the customer’s classification. For maximum demand customers caught stealing energy, the penalties will range from 450% to 600% of their last recorded energy consumption.
NERC noted that the Amended Order on Unauthorized Access, Meter Tampering, and Bypass supersedes Order No: NERC/REG/41/2017 and is effective as of January 22, 2025. The amendment is in line with the Electricity Act 2023 and the Customer Protection Regulations 2023, which empower distribution companies to disconnect unauthorized consumers.
The order is intended to curb unauthorized electricity access, meter tampering, and bypassing. It also seeks to establish clear reconnection guidelines to ensure adherence to regulations.
According to the order, customers who bypass meters or access electricity without authorization will be required to pay administrative fees, which include the costs for meter replacement and reconnection.
The order stresses that any customer found to have gained unauthorized access to electricity through tampering or bypassing will be reconnected only after settling the administrative fees, including the cost of replacing the meter.
For non-maximum demand single-phase residential customers, the penalty for the first offense is set at N100,000, while subsequent offenses will incur a fine of N150,000.
Non-maximum demand three-phase customers will face a fine of N200,000 for their first offense and N300,000 for any subsequent violations.
In the case of maximum demand customers, the fines will amount to 450 percent of their last recorded consumption for the first offense and 600 percent for subsequent offenses.
