NERC lists rights of electricity consumers

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the body empowered to meet the yearnings of Nigerians for stable, adequate and safe electricity supply, has taken the bull by the horn by releasing to the public, the rights of every electricity consumer.

The listed the rights to include all new electricity connections must be done strictly on the basis of metering before connection.

That is, no new customer should be connected without meter first being installed, a customer who elects to procure meter under the Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) Scheme must be metered within 60 days, after which the customer will neither be billed nor disconnected by the electricity distribution company and it is the customer’s right to transparent electricity billing.

Unmetered customers should be issued with electricity bills strictly based on NERC’s estimated billing methodology.

Others are , it is the customer’s right to be notified in writing ahead of disconnection of electricity service by the electricity distribution company serving the customer in line with NERC’s guidelines;

It is the customer’s right to prompt investigation of complaints arising from the customer’s electricity service disruption, It is not the responsibility of electricity customer or community to buy, replace or repair electricity transformers, poles and related equipment used in the supply of electricity and it is the customer’s right to contest any electricity bill.

Any unmetered customer who is disputing his or her estimated bill has the right not to pay the disputed bill, but pay only the last undisputed bill as the contested bill goes through the dispute resolution process of NERC.

The commission said, “it is your right to send all your complaints on electricity supply and other billing issues are to be sent to your nearest business unit of the electricity company serving your premises”.

“If your complaint is not satisfactorily addressed, you can forward your complaint to the NERC Forum Office within the coverage area of your electricity distribution company. Customers also have the right to appeal the decision of the forum at the NERC headquarters in Abuja”, NERC added.

Simon Ugwu