Directive on estimated billing not applicable to residential customers -ANED

The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, (ANED) has said that the directive by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC) to consumers not to pay estimated electricity billings only applies to Maximum Demand, (MD), customers and not residential.

NERC had in June 2016, issued directive to distribution companies for all MD customers to be metered by November, 30 2016. Following the expiration of the deadline, NERC further directed that MD customer that was not metered by March 1, shall not pay any electricity bill presented by a distribution company on the basis of estimated billing methodology.

It also said that no distribution company shall disconnect any MD customer that was not metered by March 1, on the basis of the customer’s refusal to pay a bill issued after the compliance deadline on the basis of estimated billing method. The commission had also urged any MD customer not metered by March 1, to notify the commission directly. To this end, Mr. Obiaya said, “we recognize that our residential consumers will be interested in this notice thinking that it applies to them in their need for meters, and we recognize that everyone will like to be metered, we are working towards that.”

“But this time, that notice by NERC is specific for maximum demand customers. Yes, it is a challenge, but we are working hard to ensure that we meter all the MD customers to eliminate issues associated with estimated billing that those customers have.” He said that the Discos had substantially metered MD customers, adding that the mass metering of residential consumers was on-going.

“So, our expectation is that the metering of MD customers comprehensively is been completed at this time. I know in my various discussions with the Discos, with respect to the deadline we have been given the NERC, it is in our interest to essentially meter all our MD customers.”