Meter Tampering: Electricity Regulatory Agency Hikes Reconnection Fees

The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the apex Electricity Regulatory Agency in the country has begun implementing stiffer sanctions against meter tampering and bypass.

This is its way of mitigating unauthorised access to electricity supply and its associated problems.

Any Single Phase residential customer that gains unauthorised access to electricity through meter tampering or meter bypass, it says, would only be N 100,000 and 150,000 for subsequent incidents.

On the other hand, Non-MD Three Phase Residential customers who gain unauthorised access through tampering or meter bypass, would need to pat N200, 000 for initial incident and N300, 000 subsequently.

It added: “The initial incident of unauthorised access to electricity by tampering or bypassing a Maximum Demand (“MD”) meter shall attract an administrative cost of 450% of the customer’s last authorised recorded monthly consumption.

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“Subsequent incidents of unauthorised access to electricity by tampering or bypassing an MD meter shall attract an administrative cost of 600% of the customer’s last authorised recorded monthly consumption

The reconnection fee is N10,000 for non-MD and N50, 000 for MD customers

“In the case of delayed reconnection costs, the NERC said: “Distribution Companies shall assume responsibility for compensating customer(s) for delayed reconnection costs in cases where failure to reconnect the customer occurs beyond 48 hours subsequent to the payment of reconnection costs and administrative charges related to unauthorised access to electricity, as stipulated under section 26 (1) and (2) of CPR 2023..

“Distribution Companies shall be held accountable for remunerating customers for delayed reconnection costs in situations where unjustifiable disconnection of the customer(s) has taken place”, it said.

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Other directives of relevance from the Electricity Regulatory Agency are as outlined below:

1. A customer that gains unauthorised access to electricity through tampering or meter bypass shall in addition to paying for the reconnection costs and administrative charges stated in Table 1 and 2 be liable to pay for the Loss Revenue (“LoR”) to the Distribution Company for the unaccounted consumption by paying back-bills
2. Distribution Companies shall back-bill customers who gain unauthorised access to electricity at the prevailing tariff of the customer for the established period of the unauthorised access
3. Distribution Companies shall promptly submit monthly reports to the Commission detailing instances of unauthorised access.
4. Distribution Companies shall seperate all payments associated with unauthorised connections, encompassing loss of revenue, administrative charges, and reconnection fees, attributed to customers liable under this Order.
5. Distribution Companies shall ensure that all payments for revenue losses arising from unauthorised access and administrative charges, with the exception of reconnection fees, are promptly remitted into the designated Collection Account.