Electricity customers with faulty meters have the right to have it fixed within two working days.
This is according to Dr Abdulkadir Shettima, NERC General Manager, Finance and Management Services making a presentation on Metering Issues at a recent NERC Workshop for Civil Society Organizations and Consumer Advocacy Groups in Kano state.
While addressing metering issues, the GM said after complaints have been received by the specific distribution company (DisCo), the customer’s meter should be fixed within two working days, however, there is an exception to this rule. He said:
- “The customer has the right to repair or the replacement of faulty meters within two working days upon complaint unless the fault is from him in which case, he will be required to make an upfront payment. The customer also has the right to whatever credit that is on the old meter to be transferred to the new meter.”
Meanwhile, during the event, Dr. Shettima stated further that the customer has some obligations to fulfil, among which is to authorize access to the meter and connection to the DisCos because a default could lead to disconnection.
The customer also has an obligation to ensure the safety of the meter and to prevent unauthorized access to the meter.
Also, during the event, Dr. Shittu Shaibu, the Deputy General Manager for Consumer Affairs at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) gave insights on billing, and disconnection of electricity customers by their respective DisCos. He said:
- “For every bill that is given to a customer, the payment must be written on the bill. This is the most interesting part, and it has to be delivered by the agreed means, ten days before the due date. In the Customer Protection Regulations (CPR) 2023, the DisCo is mandated to give an additional two working days as grace period before disconnection.”
What you should know
In May 2023, NERC released the CPR of 2023 as a guide for both DisCos and electricity customers. The rules contained in the CPR are meant to protect both parties cut across electricity supply connections, to meter readings in cases of relocation and disconnection of customers.
Meanwhile, in April 2023, NERC released an electricity service charter that stated that all electricity consumers who are yet to be metered, have the right to transparent billing and should be billed based on capping estimates.
The charter also states that unmetered consumers must also be notified ahead of any plans to disconnect them from the electricity service.
This piece of news is sweet on paper, but practically it is very far from it. The rate of extortion and impunity by the DisCos is terrible, and even the nerc itself do not always respond to complaints. So they should just stop sweet talking about this light matter