New electricity consumers in Nigeria are being ripped off by power distribution companies (DisCos) through estimated billing despite a policy stating that all new connections must be accompanied by meter, an investigation by Daily Trust revealed.
The Connection and Disconnection Procedures for Electricity Services Regulation, 2007 of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), which the DisCos now flout, directs that newly registered consumers must be metered at the point of connection.
Section 4, sub-section (i) of the regulation, also published in the official gazette of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FGN), states that as long as a prospective customer of any DisCo applies to get a building connected and pays the required fees (connection fee): “A distribution company shall make an appointment with the customer to fit a meter and connect electricity supply to the supply address within the period stipulated in the commission’s Customer Service Standards of Performance.”
However, an investigation by Daily Trust has shown that meters are not being fitted before customers are connected, even as the customers were made to pay all connection fees and even provide electrical materials required for the connection.
Read More:https://dailytrust.com/estimated-billing-new-customers-pay-millions-as-discos-flout-metering-policy
