(Abuja)
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC),charged with the responsibility of regulating electricity in the country on Tuesday, said it had issued notices of intention to commence enforcement action against the 11 Distribution Companies (DisCos) for overbilling consumers.
The Commission, in a tweet, said the DisCos failed to comply with the Order 197/2020 on capping of unmetered Residential 2 (R2) and Commercial 1 (C1) electricity customers.
NERC bars DisCos from billing unmetered residents above N1,800.
” We’ve complied with NERC order on estimated billing – AEDC “The DisCos have 14 days, beginning from June 4, 2020, to explain why the Commission should not sanction them over their alleged non-compliance,” it noted.
When contacted, the Executive Director, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), Chief Sunday Oduntan said he would respond later after a meeting on the issue.
“No comment for now!” Oduntan said. On his part, spokesman of Kaduna Electric, for the affected DisCos, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, said: “We have complied and we will let them know.” Oyebode Fadipe of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), in his reaction to the issue said his DisCo had also complied.
“AEDC has been complying with the Order on the capping of estimated billing since it was made by the Regulator.
“Enforcement will only be for those who have been in breach of the Order of NERC,” he said.
NERC published the Capping of Estimated Billing Order with effect from February 20, 2020, to deter the DisCos from the long tradition of what power consumers described as ‘crazy’ monthly electricity bills.
Duaglobalnews gathered that thee Order pegged payment for electricity bills paid by the R2 and C1 according to estimated power supply hours in their locations until the DisCos provide their homes with meters.
Some of the electricity consumers in Lokoja, in interview with the online publication commended NERC for taking the decision.
They decried the crazy electricity bills they were forced to pay every month, adding the proposed sanction would safe millions of energy consumer from paying the service they did not enjoy.
” Certainly, this is a timely action that will safe us exorbitant bills we pay everything, yet no commensurate electricity for it, one of the interviewees, Mr Atabo Mohammed said.
Another consumer, Mr Aliyu Adagiri, called on NERC to go beyond santioning erring Did Cos by ensuring that every house hold gets prepaid Meyers.
“This is another effect way of putting an to the crazy bills we normally pay every month. Once you have your meter, you pay according to your rate of energy you consumer because it is metered,” he said.
