Good News as FCCPC Tells NERC to Metre All Electricity Consumers in 60 Days

• The FCCPC has backed the recent fine imposed by the NERC on AEDC over violation of a supplementary order
• It, however, urged the electricity regulator to ensure that DisCoS meter every electrical customer within 60 days
• This came as customers have expressed concern that they might be abused if unmetered Band A subscribers are subject to anticipated billing

Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has over three years of experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) recently fined the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) for violating the Supplementary Order to the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) 2024 for AEDC.

According to a recent statement signed by Dr Adamu Abdullahi, the acting executive vice chairman and chief executive officer of the organisation, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has supported this action.

Read also

NERC gives Ikeja Electric, 10 other DisCos deadline to refund customers as new tariff starts

Additionally, the FCCPC demanded that NERC order all DisCoS to meter every electrical customer within 60 days, according to a Daily Trust report.

It said that as required by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, FCCPC's ardent advocacy for shielding consumers from deceptive market practices is reinforced by NERC's decision to penalise AEDC.

It further said that this move was made within 48 hours of the implementation of Band A consumers' new price structure.

Concern about metre shortage

The commission cited that many customers have expressed concern about being abused and becoming dissatisfied if unmetered Band A subscribers are subject to arbitrary anticipated billing.

It said:

"To address these concerns and promote consumer welfare under the current service reflective tariff regime, FCCPC encourages NERC to mandate DisCos to meter all unmetered Band A customers within 60 days, thus ensuring accurate billing and protecting consumers from arbitrary estimations.

Read also

Electricity tariff hike: 4 things NERC wants consumers to do to ensure DisCos don't cheat

Similarly, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has demanded that all consumers falling within Band A be metered to prevent the Electricity Distribution Companies from charging them too little.

According to a statement issued by NSE President Margaret Aina Oguntala, the NERC and DisCos should work together to advance metering initiatives to guarantee proper billing procedures and transparency in the use of power.

Reaction to NERC's increase in electricity tariff

Legit.ng reported that the decision by NERC to raise the electricity tariff for Band A consumers from the current N66 per kilowatt hour to N225, or a 240% increase, has been criticised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), manufacturers, and other concerned stakeholders.

Band-A users are those who enjoy electricity for more than 20 hours daily.

In 2020, NERC implemented the Service-Based Tariff (SBT) to improve customer service and ensure that energy tariffs paid by end-users accurately reflect the services provided by power distribution companies.

Source: Legit.ng