Report DisCos requesting payment for prepaid meter replacement, NERC tells Nigerians

Adelabu Jumoke – Abuja

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says it is the responsibility of electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to replace customers’ meters free of charge if the devices are obsolete or faulty.

On October 18, NERC ordered DisCos to replace phased-out meters.

Following the directive, Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) and the Eko Electric Distribution Company (EKEDC) announced that the Unistar prepaid meters, first deployed over a decade ago, would no longer be supported from November 14, due to technological upgrades and the token identifier (TID) rollover issue.

However, media reports on November 11, suggested that DisCos insisted on payment by customers for replacement of their functional meters.

In a statement on Monday, NERC said the move by DisCos violates its order.

According to the regulatory body, the directive noted that no meter-based consumer should be forced to switch to estimated billing.

“The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission is aware that some Distribution Companies (DisCos) have instructed customers to apply and pay for the replacement of faulty and obsolete meters within their franchise areas,” NERC said.

“This instruction contravenes 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 Order clearly states that no customer with a meter should be forcefully migrated to estimated billing. If any customer’s meter is adjudged by any DisCo to be obsolete or faulty, it is the responsibility of the DisCo to replace the meter free of charge, provided that the fault was not caused by the customer.

“The Commission restates 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.”

The NERC urged customers to report cases of non-compliance with the order by any DisCo.

On October 22, after receiving complaints from consumers who raised concerns about the cost of getting a meter and the bill incurred during the period of changing the meters, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), held a meeting with electricity stakeholders and issued directive asking DisCos to replace faulty or obsolete metering devices without charging customers