NERC Stops Estimated Billing By Discos

       The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has directed the 11 electricity distribution companies (Discos) to stop further collection of electricity bill under the estimated billing system.
      The suspension order signed by NERC’s Chairman, Mr. James Momoh and Commissioner, Legal, Licensing and Compliance, Mr. Dafe Akpeneye, took effect from February 20, and has been circulated to all Discos concerned.


      NERC directed that based on the above, the estimated billing methodology is hereby repealed and shall cease to have effect as a basis for computing the consumption of unmetered customers .

     ‘‘Discos shall ensure that all customers on tariff class A1 in their franchise areas are properly identified and metered by 30 April 2020. While all unmetered RS and C1 customers shall not be invoiced for the consumption of energy beyond the stipulated  cap in the schedule.

      All R1 customers, who by definition consume no more than 50 kilo watt hour(kWhr) of energy per month, shall continue to be billed at N4 kWhr and a maximum of N200 per month unless otherwise amended by an order of the commission.

      The NERC order instructed further that the energy cap prescribed by the commission shall only apply to R2 and C1 customers, adding that all other customers on higher tariff classes must be metered by Discos no later than April 30, 2020, failing which these customers are not liable to pay any estimated bill issued by Discos
      Any customer on such higher tariff classes not metered beyond April 30, 2020 shall remain connected to supply without further payment to the Disco, until a meter is installed on the premises under the framework of Meter Asset Provider (MAP) regulations or any other financing arrangement approved by the commission.
     Customers whose current estimated bills are lower than the prescribed energy cap shall remain so without any upward adjustment until a meter is installed by the Disco under the MAP regulation or any other initiative approved by the commission.
     However, it warned that any customer that rejects the installation of a meter on their premises by a Disco shall not be entitled to supply and must be disconnected by the Disco, and shall only be reconnected to the network with the installation of a meter.