Number of unmetered electricity consumers in Nigeria drops – NERC
Nigeria Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) has reported that there has been a marginal decrease in the number of unmetered electricity consumers across the country.
NERC said data from the first and second quarter of its 2022 report has shown that electricity consumers made 251,007 complaints against power distribution companies between April and June last year in protest against estimated billing, lack of meters, and service interruption, among others.
Figures from the reports indicated that unmetered power users dropped from 7,802,427 in the first quarter of last year to 7,744,909 in the second quarter, indicating a reduction of 57,518.
“In 2022/Q2, cumulatively, the Discos received 251,007 complaints from consumers – this is 7,620 (+3.13 per cent) more complaints than those received in 2022/Q1.”
The commission pointed out that “metering, billing, and service interruption were the prevalent sources of customer complaints, accounting for more than 72 percent of the total complaints during the quarter,” read the latest second quarter report.
Continuing, NERC disclosed that it has also introduced initiatives to address this category of complaints such as the independent verification of distribution companies compliance with the capping regulation that protects unmetered customers from over-billing.
The power sector regulator, however, stated that the distribution companies resolved 231,905 complaints during the review period, corresponding to a 92.39 percent resolution rate.
“The meter installations increased compared to 2022/Q1 despite the winding down of the National Mass Metering Program phase 02 as a result of the uptake of the Meter Asset Provider metering scheme by most Discos.”
The commission also disclosed that ‘it has continued to engage relevant stakeholders to ensure month-on-month increments in metering rate, while instituting safeguards against over-billing of unmetered customers by setting maximum limits to the amount of energy that might be billed to an unmetered customer every month.’
