- The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission warned DisCos against charging customers for replacing faulty meters, emphasizing that replacements must be free of charge
- NERC reiterated that customers should not be forced into estimated billing if their meters are deemed faulty or obsolete by DisCos
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has warned electricity distribution companies (DisCos) against charging customers for replacing outdated or faulty meters.
In a statement, NERC acknowledged reports that some DisCos are asking customers to pay to replace meters within their service areas. The commission clarified that this practice violates its Order No. NERC/246/2021 on the structured replacement of obsolete meters.
The global upgrade of meter software, scheduled for November 24, is expected to address current system limitations and ensure compatibility with new electricity tokens. However, NERC emphasized that customers should not bear the cost of replacing meters deemed unfit for the upgrade.
According to the statement, “No customer with a meter should be forcefully migrated to estimated billing. If a DisCo finds a meter to be faulty or obsolete, the replacement must be done at no cost to the customer, provided the fault was not caused by the customer.”
NERC reaffirmed its dedication to safeguarding customer rights by enforcing regulatory standards and penalizing non-compliance among DisCos.
The commission encouraged customers to report any cases where DisCos fail to comply with the directive to replace faulty meters without charge.
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