NERC Refunds N20bn To 2.1 Million Customers, Moves To End Estimated Billing

The Commissioner, Corporate Services at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Mr Nathan Shatti, has disclosed that electricity consumers who paid upfront for meters under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme are steadily receiving refunds through energy credits.

He revealed that of the N25bn paid by about 2.5 million customers for MAP metering, N20bn has already been refunded, with 2.1 million customers benefiting from the energy credit reimbursement mechanism.

According to him, the scheme remains an option for customers who prefer immediate metering rather than waiting for meters under ongoing government-funded interventions.

Speaking while delivering a paper titled “Metering Challenges in Nigeria and Government Interventions,” Shatti explained that the MAP scheme complements broader national efforts aimed at closing the metering gap, promoting transparent billing, and eliminating estimated billing across the electricity distribution sector.

He stated that the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), under which the Federal Government committed N700bn to deliver 2.5 million prepaid meters and distribution transformer meters nationwide.

He added that a procurement process is currently underway involving 42 Local Meter Manufacturers and Assemblers (LMMA) to supply and install an additional 750,000 meters within 15 months.

The PMI, he noted, also includes plans to train 5,000 meter installers in collaboration with the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN).

Shatti further drew attention to the World Bank–financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), which targets the deployment of 3.2 million meters.

He added that so far, 645,000 meters have been delivered to electricity distribution companies (DisCos), out of which 117,861 have already been installed.

He also explained that the progress made under the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF) was established by NERC in 2023. Under Tranche A, N21bn was disbursed in May 2025 for the procurement of 143,929 meters, with 115,141 already installed across 11 DisCos.

According to him, under Tranche B, N25bn was disbursed in September 2025 for 184,609 meters, with 98,328 installed as of January 2026.

These, he said, demonstrated the Federal Government’s and the regulator’s commitment to ensuring universal metering, improving customer confidence in electricity billing, and ultimately phasing out estimated billing in Nigeria’s power sector.

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