ICYMI: Unmetered customers can’t be charged more than their metered neighbours, says NERC
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says it has developed a principle to stem the exploitation of customers on estimated billing.
Dafe Akpeneye, NERC commissioner, legal licensing and compliance, disclosed this on Friday during the agency’s online town hall meeting with customers.
Akpeneye said with the method, named “Parity with Neighbours”, electricity distribution companies (DisCos) cannot charge unmetered customers more than their metered neighbours.
“This is the principle we are applying with unmetered customers. It basically means as an unmetered customer, you cannot be charged more than your metered neighbour,” Akpeneye said.
Speaking further on the new electricity tariff regime, Akpeneye also said DisCos must not increase tariff of customers enjoying less than 12 hours of power supply daily.
The DisCos said the classes of customers had been categorised into five bands with bands D and E, who were not enjoying 12 hours daily power supply, unaffected by the new tariff plan.
Responding to claims by some customers that the DisCos were not adhering to the increment terms, Akpeneye maintained that those who do not get 12 hours supply daily should not experience any increment.
He explained that the hours and bands were decided by the commission after consultations, but customers were assigned to the bands by the DisCos.
“Anyone who is enjoying less than 12 hours of electricity must not have their tariffs increased,” he said.
“Customers who receive electricity service below the band they have been assigned can have the DisCos move them to the actual band of electricity service they receive.
“Unhappy? Contest the band classification you have been assigned.”
Even if all the neighbors have air-coditioners in all rooms and the customer does not even have a fan?
It is so disheartening about what goes on in this country about electricity. These discos are just reaping off Nigerians by enjoying money never worked for. When customers pole falls or there is need for minor items such as wire, the consumers provide it but it belongs to the disco. Transformers and meters are the responsibilities of the consumers except they want to remain in forever darkness while bills piles up in the name of estimated billing even when there was no power supply.
It is a shame