THE Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said it has placed over N628 million fine on eight electricity distribution companies (DisCos) for failing to comply with monthly energy caps for unmetered customers between July and September 2024.
The electricity regulator disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, April 10.
It said the affected DisCos include Abuja, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, and Yola and were required to issue credit adjustments to affected customers by May 15, 2025.
The NERC said it acted under section 34(1)(d) of the Electricity Act 2023, which underscores its unwavering commitment to regulatory compliance and consumer protection within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
“The public may recall that in 2020, the Commission issued the Order on capping of Estimated Bills and subsequently issued monthly energy caps which aimed to align the estimated bills for unmetered customers with the measured consumption of metered customers on the same supply feeder. A review of Discos’ billing of unmetered customers for July-September 2024 revealed non-compliance with the monthly energy caps issued by the Commission.
“The non-compliant DisCos have been sanctioned to pay fines amounting to N628,031,583.94, which is equivalent to 5% of the naira value of the gross overbilling for the period under review. The Commission has also mandated the DisCos to issue commensurate credit adjustments to all customers affected by the overbilling by 15th May 2025 – the end of the April 2025 billing cycle,” NERC explained.
The ICIR reported in January this year that NERC revealed approximately 53.85 per cent of registered electricity customers across Nigeria remain unmetered.
It said 6,156,726, representing 46.15 per cent of 13,339,635 registered electricity customers, had been metered as of September 30, 2024, meaning that 7,182,909, representing 53.85 per cent, were unmetered electricity customers across the country.
In February 2024, The ICIR also reported that following the non-compliance of the 11 DisCos to cap estimated billing for unmetered customers in the country, NERC slammed N10.51 billion fines on them.