The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has declared that any instruction from the electricity distribution companies that customers should apply and pay for the replacement of a faulty or obsolete meter is against the law and should not be obeyed.
The NERC stated that this instruction contravened the commission’s order No. NERC/246/2021 on the Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete end-use Customer Meters in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
The NERC said that the order clearly stated that no customer with a meter should be forcefully migrated to estimated billing.
It added: “If any customer’s meter is judged by any DISCO to be obsolete or faulty, it is the responsibility of the DISCO to replace the meter free to charge provided that the fault was not caused by the consumer.
The commission also restated its commitment to protect customers’ interests and rights by ensuring compliance with established regulatory standards and enforcing regulatory penalties for non-compliance by its licensees.
It also urged customers to report cases of non-compliance to the order by any DISCO to the commission.
In addition, electricity consumers were advised not to grant access to their premises to any Disco for the purpose of a meter change without seeing a new meter and the installation materials.
“Replacement must be immediately same day. No room for estimated billing.
“Since your meter is still functional, it means it is the disco who decided it is obsolete, therefore, they must bear all costs for replacement.
“It must be free of charge according to NERC directive.
“If you already paid for a new meter when your old meter is still functional, that money should be converted to credit units for you on the new meter.”
