The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said the 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos) left electricity valued at N83.15 billion unbilled in July, while failing to collect another N45.26 billion from customers they had billed during the month.

The figures, contained in NERC’s July 2026 Commercial Performance of Distribution Companies factsheet released on Thursday, showed that the DisCos received electricity valued at N333.94 billion but billed customers for only N250.79 billion, leaving an N83.15 billion billing gap.

The sector’s billing efficiency consequently stood at 75.1 per cent in July, while the DisCos also struggled to convert billed electricity into cash.

Against total billings of N250.79 billion, they collected N205.53 billion, leaving N45.26 billion uncollected and putting overall collection efficiency at 81.95 per cent.

The N83.15 billion billing gap represents the difference between the value of electricity received by the DisCos and the value billed. The N45.26 billion collection gap, meanwhile, represents bills issued but not recovered during the month.

The July figures showed wide variations in the commercial performance of the DisCos.
Abuja DisCo recorded the largest collection gap at N8.34 billion, collecting N35.62 billion from N43.96 billion billed. Kano DisCo followed, with N8.26 billion collected from N15.66 billion billed, leaving N7.4 billion uncollected.

Kaduna DisCo collected N5.22 billion against N10.46 billion billed, leaving N5.24 billion uncollected, while Jos DisCo collected N5.65 billion from N10.72 billion billed, leaving N5.07 billion.

Enugu DisCo recorded a collection gap of N5 billion, collecting N16.38 billion against N21.38 billion billed.

On billing performance, Kano DisCo had the highest billing efficiency at 85.37 per cent, followed by Port Harcourt at 82.34 per cent and Eko at 78.63 per cent.

Yola DisCo recorded the lowest billing efficiency at 61.55 per cent, followed by Kaduna at 64.08 per cent and Jos at 68.51 per cent.

On revenue recovery, the regulator put the sector’s allowed average tariff at N130.15/kWh, compared with an actual average collection of N97.50/kWh.

This produced an overall recovery efficiency of 74.91 per cent, indicating a N32.65/kWh difference between the allowed average tariff and the actual average amount collected.

Eko DisCo, however, recorded the highest recovery efficiency at 94.67 per cent, followed by Port Harcourt at 84.95 per cent.

Kaduna recorded the lowest at 39.71 per cent, while Jos stood at 46.27 per cent.