NERC Says; "Nigerians, Know Your Rights!"

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is empowered by the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act, 2005 to ensure an efficiently managed electricity supply industry that meets the yearnings of Nigerians for stable, adequate and safe electricity supply.

The Act mandates the Commission to ensure that electricity operators recover costs on prudent investment and provide quality service to customers.

To ensure quality service delivery, it is pertinent that electricity customers know their rights as follows:

1. All new electricity connections must be done strictly on the basis of metering before connection. That is, no new customer should be connected without a meter  first being installed.

2. A customer who elects to procure meter under the Credited Advanced Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) Scheme must be metered within 60 days, after which the electricity customer will neither be billed nor disconnected by the electricity distribution company.

3. It is your Right to transparent electricity billing. Unmetered customers should be issued with electricity bills strictly based on NERC's Estimated Billing Methodology.

4. It is your Right to contest any electricity bill. Any unmetered customer who is disputing his/her estimated bill has the Right not to pay the disputed bill, but pay only the last undisputed bill as the contested bill go through the dispute resolution process of NERC.

5. It is your Right to be notified in writing ahead of disconnection of electricity service by the electricity distribution company serving you in line with NERC guidelines.

6. It is your Right to prompt investigation of complaints arising from your electricity service disruption.

7. 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.

8. All complaints on your 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 satisfactory addressed, you can forward your complaint to the NERC Forum Office within the coverage area of your electricity distribution company. Electricity customers also have the Right to appeal the decision of the Forum at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission's Headquarters, Abuja.

Source: The Nation Newspaper, 11th March 2016.