The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued a warning to electricity distribution companies (DisCos) against charging customers for the replacement of outdated meters that lack the necessary software for upgrades.
In a recent statement, NERC noted that it has received reports of some DisCos requiring customers to apply and pay for the replacement of faulty and obsolete meters within their service areas.
It is important to remember that all meters worldwide are scheduled for a software upgrade by November 24 to facilitate the recharging of new electricity tokens, addressing limitations in their current systems.
NERC emphasized that this practice violates Order No. NERC/246/2021, which mandates the structured replacement of faulty and obsolete end-use customer meters in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
“The order explicitly states that no customer should be forcibly transitioned to estimated billing. If a DisCo determines that a customer’s meter is obsolete or faulty, it is the DisCo’s responsibility to replace the meter at no cost, provided the fault was not caused by the customer.”
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding customers’ rights and interests by ensuring adherence to established regulatory standards and imposing penalties for non-compliance among its licensees.
NERC encourages customers to report any instances of non-compliance with this order by any DisCo.
