Amidst sustained outrages on over billing, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has barred the 11 Distribution Companies (DisCos) from charging residential customers above an average of N1,800 monthly until they are metered.

In an Order 197 signed by the Chairman, Prof. James Momoh and the Commissioner, Legal, Licencing & Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye, NERC said the new order repeals the 2012 estimated billing regulation effective since last Thursday.

It also said electricity consumers have grown from five million in 2012 to over 10m by December 2019. But about 52 percent of them are not metered and are placed on estimated billing by the DisCos.

It said the Meter Assets Provider (MAP) was initiated to increase the metering of consumers within three years. “The Estimated Billing Methodology Regulation is hereby repealed and shall cease to have effect as a basis for computing the consumption of unmetered customers in NESI,” it noted. NERC said all unmetered residential and commercial customers shall not be invoiced for the consumption of energy if they are not metered by April.

Presently, it said R2 customers cannot be billed for more than the worth of 78 kilowatt hour (kwh) of energy monthly which is about N1,800. Residents that consume less than 50kwh will be billed at N4 per kwh and a maximum of N200 monthly. All other customers on higher tariff classes must be metered by DisCos by 30 April 2020. “Failing which these customers are not liable to pay any estimated bill issued by the DisCo.” Any customer that rejects the installation of a meter on their premises by a DisCo shall not be entitled to supply and must be disconnected, it noted.

tsephanyah:
Wow! This is Awesome
God bless president Buhari
God bless Nigeria

tsephanyah:
Wow! This is Awesome
God bless president Buhari
God bless Nigeria

adanny01:
The energy cap puts a maximum limit on your Disco. They can't bill you more than the cap unless you are metered.

Check your energy caps below.

Moderators please front page so Nigerians can know.

chachanga:
This should help deal with dem thieves if gullible docile Nigerians don't give them any extra chance.

Everyone should stay on their rights and resist them and all their shenanigans, they'll sit up.

edoairways:

It isn't awesome. The discos would now supply more power to areas that generate huge revenue at the expense of the masses.

oz4real83:
Will customers also pay the N1,800 any month there wasn't electricity? I don't know what is so difficult with forcing discos to give prepaid meters. If there are no meters, don't bill anything. Let the discos be at loss with their inability to provide prepaid meters.

adanny01:


I don't think so. The challenges of power distribution still exist. Those areas you think will now get more light may not have efficient power supply facilities such as transformers and proper network cables. They are still limited to their network capacity so cannot improve even if they want to.

For example, my area is close to a 132kV substation so we get power directly from the 33kV network which is far more stable and only control from the main substation. But the main town has an injection substation which converts the 33kV from the substation to 11kV which 95% of the town uses. That 33/11kV transformer is overloaded so the entire town operates on a ration even when enough power comes via the 132kV.

So even if all the areas using 33kV have faulty transformers, the main 33/11kV transformer will not take more load so the town cannot see more light.

Its the same problem all over the country.

tsephanyah:
Wow! This is Awesome
God bless president Buhari
God bless Nigeria

edoairways:

The tariff rates at too low hence the exorbitant charges. The government should do something by making sure both parties( disco and consumers) benefit mutually.

edoairways:

Since the news broke out, I non dey see light again oh. Dem manage dey give 5hrs to 6 hrs a day but dem don ves

edoairways:

What is the meaning of R2, C2 etc. Secondly are those figures in kWh per hour. Please explain further because I don't understand those figures

chachanga:


Oturugbeke

GamalNasser:


Trust me DISCOs this the way to force those eveil DISCOs to give people meteres and stop rejecting power from Gencos

edoairways:

Na wa oh! does thunderstorm or lightening trip off power in your area during rainy season or the light remains stable throughout?

edoairways:
Assuming my area in Benin city GRA is capped at 170 kWh per month, how hours does it translate to in a month?

adanny01:
The energy cap puts a maximum limit on your Disco. They can't bill you more than the cap unless you are metered.

Check your energy caps below.

Moderators please front page so Nigerians can know.