"N1,000 Per Day": NERC Orders Ikeja Electric, EKDC, Other DisCos to Compensate Consumers For Poor Service
- Electricity consumers who receive poor services from DisCos would are entitled to compensation
- According to a new order by NERC, DisCos are required to compensate consumers if they did provide 90% of electricity monthly
- The document stated that the commission would assess the availability of the feeders as measured by the average number of hours of electricity
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The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has stated that electricity consumers can be compensated for poor service delivery when the distribution company they are connected to does not provide 90% of electricity hours in a month.
The statement was contained in a document signed by NERC's Chairman and Commissioner for Legal Licensing and Compliance, Sanusi Garba and Dafe Akpeneye, respectively.
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NERC to assess feeders on monthly basis
The document stated that the commission would evaluate the average availability of the 11kV and 33kV feeders as measured by the average number of hours of electricity supplied by DisCos daily over one month.
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NERC said the directive should be effective from June 1, 2023.
NERC said:
"Where it is established that the service level on any feeder in the band(s) "A" to "D" has failed to meet up to 90% of the committed service levels within one month, the customers on the affected feeder(s) shall be compensated."
It stated that compensation for prepaid customers would be a token for units of energy in Kilowatt per hour (kWh) "to account for the difference between the vented tariff and the applicable tariff for the actual service experienced in the month. The token's value in kWh is specified in Schedules 1-11 of this Order."
NERC states type compensation for postpaid consumers
Daily Trust reports that for postpaid or those consumers on estimated billing, bills are issued after services were rendered, and the resulting bill of the postpaid customers of the affected feeders shall be issued with the adjusted applicable tariff based on the exact service experienced during the period.
NERC added that customers should be notified of compensation and adjustment to their bills due to them from the DisCos by email or SMS.
The document stated that each DisCo shall file the commission by the 15th day of the month, the monthly report of customers' compensation for service failure affected by the DisCo in the last billing cycle.
The spokesman for Ikeja Electric, Ayeni Akinola, did not respond to calls or text messages seeking clarification on the issue.
Consumers claim ignorance of NERC orders
But in previous orders, the commission said consumers were entitled to compensation of one N1,000 daily for unlawful or unauthorized disconnection or poor service for residential buildings.
For commercial buildings, the compensation amount shall be N1,500 per day for the duration of the unlawful disconnection.
Many consumers who spoke to Legit.ng said they were unaware of the orders and sought to know more.
According to Dayo Adeyanju, an electrician along the Abule Egab axis in Lagos, many consumers are ignorant of the Order and stated that the DisCos might exploit consumers' ignorance.
"If such order exists, I think the commission should have embarked on a consumer awareness campaign because these DiScos might twist the issues."
Justina Akere, a frozen food seller, said she has not received up to four hours of electricity daily since May 2023.
She said the electricity company servicing her location said the feeder supplying them could be better.
"We are tired of complaining. If this is true, we shall take our DisCo up," she said.
Electricity tariff: DisCos to meet with NERC to demand 40% hike approval next week
Legit.ng reported that Electricity consumers are yet to breathe a sigh of relief as new information indicates that electricity distribution companies (DisCos) are still pursuing the Federal Government's approval to increase tariffs.
In the last few weeks, there have been speculations of a 40% tariff hike by the DisCos, who claimed to have made over 40% losses due to escalating petrol prices, fluctuating exchange rates, and other economic conditions.
Some DisCos had backed down on the proposed tariff increase, revealing that the power sector's regulatory agency, National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), was yet to approve.
Source: Legit.ng
