Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Com-
mission (NERC) Amidst sustained out-
rages on over billing, the Nigerian Elec-
tricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)
has barred the 11 Distribution Compa-
nies (DisCos) from charging residential
customers above an average of N1,800
monthly until they are metered.
In an Order 197 signed by the Chair-
man, Prof. James Momoh and the Com-
missioner, Legal, Licencing & Compli-
ance, 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
10million 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 Pro-
vider (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Regulation is hereby repealed and shall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 com-
puting the consumption of unmetered
customers in NESI,” it noted. NERC said
all unmetered residential and commer-
cial 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 tar-
iff classes must be metered by DisCos
by 30 April 2020. “Failing which these
customers are not liable to pay any es-
timated 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.
