The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has mandated all electricity distribution companies to publish details of refunds made to customers who purchased meters under the Meter Asset Provider scheme.
This directive aims to enhance transparency and ensure that customers are adequately informed about the reimbursement process.
This was disclosed by NERC via its official X handle on Monday.
NERC convened its inaugural Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry Stakeholders Meeting for 2025 at its headquarters on Monday.
The meeting focused on reviewing key developments within the power sector.
TheMAP framework, established by NERC, facilitates the engagement of third-party investors to provide and maintain end-user meters. Under this scheme, customers receive meters as a service and, in return, pay metering service charges.
According to NERC regulations, customers who choose to make upfront payments for meters are entitled to refunds through energy credits issued by their respective Distribution Licensees (DisCos). The reimbursement schedule is determined by NERC, taking into account the financial standing of each DisCo.
However, consumer groups have raised concerns that DisCos have been inconsistent in refunding customers who procured meters under the MAP scheme.
In response to these complaints and to promote transparency, the NERC has directed all DisCos to publish detailed information regarding these refunds on their official websites.
“NERC has directed Discos to publish details of MAP refunds on their websites for transparency. This will demonstrate commitment and consistency to the scheme and encourage customers,“ the commission stated.
The Federal Government has stepped up efforts in addressing the significant metering gap in the nation’s power sector, with over seven million electricity consumers currently unmetered.
This shortfall has led to widespread reliance on estimated billing, often resulting in customer dissatisfaction and revenue losses for distribution companies.
Recently, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Energy, Olu Verheijen, stated that the government is planning to meter all customers to reduce losses in the sector.
“The government is intervening in the short term by making sure that the registered customers within the Disco have meters because no matter what your tariff is, you need to make sure that you can collect and reduce your collection losses. And so, that’s one of the interventions. You’ve heard about the Presidential Metering Initiative, which looks to consolidate all the different metering initiatives that are funded by different entities.
“And so, we have the ability to know what your consumption is, what you can afford to pay, and make sure that we’re collecting the revenues from that and improving cash flow that way. It’s the first approach to making sure that DisCos have the financial capacity or cash flows that are required to drive investments in reliability and green access,” she stated.
