The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Company (NERC) has directed Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) in the country to complete the upgrade of Standard Transfer Specification (STS) meters for their customers on or before January 1, 2025, to avoid disruption of service.
In a statement released via its X handle on Tuesday after the Fourth Quarter 2024 Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) stakeholders’ meeting, the NERC threatened to impose daily penalties on non-compliant operators.
“NERC has directed DisCos to rapidly conclude the migration of STS-Meters for all their customers to prevent disruption of service.
“During the Q4 NESI Stakeholders Meeting, the Commission warned that daily penalties would be imposed for each meter not migrated effective from 1st January 2025,” NERC stated.
In a November meeting, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr. Tunji Bello, criticized the lack of transparency in metering by DisCos.
Bello, while urging Electricity Company to prioritize consumer rights in metering processes stated: “We are here today because consumers’ rights in metering must be a priority.”
“The recent challenges, especially the arbitrary billing practices and the lack of transparency in metering, are unacceptable. We must ensure that consumers are treated fairly and that all practices adhere to the guidelines set out by regulatory bodies like the NERC,” Bello concluded.
The latest development comes months after the NERC directed electricity distribution companies (Discos) to replace phased-out meters for their customers.
NERC urged electricity companies to embrace technological upgrades stressing that users of Unistar meters would face vending challenges once the upgrade occurs.
This development comes amid the ongoing metering gap issue in Nigeria.
