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Arise News247 gathered that the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) ordered that all Maximum Demand Customers of all electricity distribution companies should stop paying electricity bills if they have not been provided prepaid meters as at 1st March, 2017. And they must not be disconnected for none payment of such “bill issued on the basis of estimated billing methodology”
NERC thus provided below their contact details for such customers to report directly to them if they have not been metered and or if any electricity distribution companies disconnects them from electricity supply for complying with this directive.
This was obtained by Arise News247 from a statement issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC (full statement with contact details below) and made available to media houses and also posted on their website.
The order is a form of punitive measure to electricity distribution companies that failed to comply with the 30th November, 2016 deadline for metering all MD customers, which again “was extended to 1 March 2017 after consideration of appeals received from distribution companies,” NERC asserted.
According to the statement, Maximum Demand (MD) customers are defined as “commercial and industrial customers who consume high levels of electricity and contribute substantially to the revenues of distribution companies with consumption threshold for MD customers is 45KVA.”
Below is the full statement as received from Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) —————-
PUBLIC NOTICE ON VERIFICATION/VALIDATION OF MD METERING EXERCISE The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (“NERC” or the “Commission”) was established by section 31 of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) as the regulator of the Nigerian Electric Supply Industry (NESI). The Commission is mandated by section 32(b) of EPSRA to maximise access to electricity services by promoting and facilitating consumer connection to electricity distribution networks in both rural and urban areas. The Regulation on Connection and Disconnection Procedures for Electricity Services, 2007 provides for the connection of customers to electricity distribution networks by distribution companies. Maximum Demand (MD) meters are used by commercial and industrial customers who consume high levels of electricity and contribute substantially to the revenues of distribution companies. The consumption threshold for MD customers is 45KVA. A directive was issued to distribution companies by the Commission in June 2016 for all MD customers to be metered by 30 November 2016. The Commission received appeals on compliance deadline from distribution companies prior to the expiration of the 30 November 2016 deadline. The deadline was extended to 1 March 2017 after consideration of appeals received from distribution companies. Upon due consideration of facts above and the expiration of the compliance deadline granted to distribution companies on the metering of MD customers; the Commission hereby directs as follows – 1. Any MD customer that was not metered by 1 March 2017 shall not pay any electricity bill presented by a distribution company on the basis of estimated billing methodology and these customers are advised to report this to the Commission. 2. No distribution company shall disconnect any MD customer that was not metered by 1 March 2017 on the basis of the customer’s refusal to pay a bill issued after the compliance deadline on the basis of estimated billing methodology. 3. Any MD customer that was not metered by 1 March 2017 should notify the Commission directly – Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission info@nerc.gov.ng 234 9 462 1424 |
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