*The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Nigerian Society of Engineers, and other industry stakeholders urge the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to meter all power consumers meter ‘all electricity consumers’ within 60 days to avoid being shortchanged by the electricity Distribution Companies

Alexander Davis | 绿帽献妻

Against the backdrop of the recent power tariff hike, especially for Band A electricity consumers, industry stakeholders, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), have called for the metering of all consumers falling under Band A.

The professional association said the measure would prevent electricity consumers from being shortchanged by the electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) in the power ecosystem.

绿帽献妻 reports the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) recently jacked up power tariff for Band A consumers from initial N66 KWh to N225 KWh in the country.

According to NERC, electricity consumers on Band A are those who enjoy power supply for 20 hours per day.

The “metered” power consumers in the Band A category reportedly constitute 1.5 million, or about 15 percent of the estimated 12 million metered customers in the West African country.

In its recommendation to the Commission, Engr. Margaret Aina Oguntala, FNSE, President of NSE, in a statement said the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission in collaboration with DisCos, should expedite metering initiatives to ensure accurate billing practices and transparency in electricity consumption.

Earlier in its reaction to the N200 million penalty the power regulator had imposed on erring Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) for apparently flouting the Band A tariff increment guidelines, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) noted, in a statement signed and issued by

Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, Acting Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Commission, its support for the fine NERC slammed against Abuja Electricity.

The DisCo had acknowledged it violated the Supplementary Order to the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) 2024, and subsequently apologised to its customers within its franchise network.

The FCCPC, like NSE and other concerned consumers in Nigeria, urged NERC to direct all DisCos to meter all electricity consumers within 60 days.

The Commission also stated: 鈥淣ERC鈥檚 decision to penalise AEDC reinforces FCCPC鈥檚 strong advocacy for protecting consumers from unfair market practices, as mandated by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018.

It further stated that, 鈥淣otably, this action was taken within 48 hours of the introduction of a new tariff regime for Band A customers.”

Abdullahi noted: “Many consumers have expressed fear that the likelihood of arbitrary estimated billing for unmetered Band A customers could lead to consumer abuse and dissatisfaction.

鈥淭o address these concerns and promote consumer welfare under the current service reflective tariff regime, FCCPC encourages NERC to mandate DisCos to meter all unmetered Band A customers within 60 days, thus ensuring accurate billing and protecting consumers from arbitrary estimations.”

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