The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says
it is the responsibility of electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to
replace customers’ meters free of charge if the devices are obsolete or faulty.
On October 18, NERC ordered DisCos to replace phased-out
meters.
Following the directive, Ikeja Electric Distribution Company
(IKEDC) and the Eko Electric Distribution Company (EKEDC) announced that the
Unistar prepaid meters, first deployed over a decade ago, would no longer be
supported from November 14, due to technological upgrades and the token
identifier (TID) rollover issue.
However, media reports on November 11, suggested that DisCos
insisted on payment by customers for replacement of their functional meters.
In a statement on Monday, NERC said the move by DisCos
violates its order.
According to the regulatory body, the directive noted that
no meter-based consumer should be forced to switch to estimated billing.
“The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission is aware
that some Distribution Companies (DisCos) have instructed customers to apply
and pay for the replacement of faulty and obsolete meters within their
franchise areas,” NERC said.
“This instruction contravenes the Commission’s Order No.
NERC/246/2021 on the Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete end-use
Customer Meters in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
“The Order clearly states that no customer with a meter
should be forcefully migrated to estimated billing. If any customer’s meter is
adjudged by any DisCo to be obsolete or faulty, it is the responsibility of the
DisCo to replace the meter free of charge, provided that the fault was not
caused by the customer.
“The Commission restates its commitment to protect
customers’ interests and rights by ensuring compliance with established
regulatory standards and enforcing regulatory penalties for non-compliance by
its licensees.”
The NERC urged customers to report cases of non-compliance
with the order by any DisCo.
On October 22, after receiving complaints from consumers who
raised concerns about the cost of getting a meter and the bill incurred during
the period of changing the meters, the Federal Competition and Consumer
Protection Commission (FCCPC), held a meeting with electricity stakeholders and
issued directive asking DisCos to replace faulty or obsolete metering devices
without charging customers
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