Electricity: NERC Moves Against Estimated Billing, Limits Amount Payable By Customers

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has limited the amount that unmetered Nigerians can pay to electricity distribution companies (DisCos). 

The move would be welcomed by many electricity consumers who have groaned under irrational estimated billing from DisCos since 2012.

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The level of customers dissatisfaction from unrealistic estimated bills has also adversely impacted the market revenues as it led to consumer apathy and declining willingness to settle bills in full.

In a move to address the problem, NERC has now mandated all Discos not to issue bills beyond the limit to unmetered R2 and C1 customers.

According to the commission, R2 customers who are residential customers that consume more than 50 kilowatt-hours in a month now have an energy cap of 78 kilowatt-hours per month and a tariff of N24 per kilowatt-hour.

The maximum estimated bill per month to be issued to this class of customers by all Discos in the country is N 1,872 (78kWhr x N24/kWhr).

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The commission also noted that all R1 customers who consume no more than 50kWhr of energy per month shall continue to be billed at N4/kWhr and a maximum if N 200 per month.

NERC also directed that all customers on higher tariff classes must be metered by Discos not later than April 30, 2020.

“The customer shall remain connected to supply without further payment to the Discos until a meter is installed on the premises under the framework of MAP Regulations or any other financing arrangement approved by the commission.

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