NERC urges consumers to know their rights, as AEDC faces accusations

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has charged consumers of electricity in the country to exercise their rights and obligations to enable them to enjoy electricity supply from the service providers.

The consumers, on the other hand, accused the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) of overbilling, extortion, and other sharp practices, which they said had negative consequences for them.

The Commissioner in charge of Consumer Affairs of NERC, Aisha Mahmud, gave the charge on Thursday in Lokoja, Kogi State, during the customer complaints resolution meeting organised by NERC in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA).

According to her, the Commission is an independent body established by the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005, now the Electricity Act of 2023, to undertake technical and economic regulation of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.

She added that the Commission is to, among other things, licence operators, determine operating codes and standards, establish customer rights and obligations, and set cost-reflective industry tariffs.

The Commissioner stated that the essence of the customer complaints resolution meeting in Kogi State was to sensitise the consumers of electricity on their rights and obligations, as well as to entertain their complaints with a view to adequately addressing them.

He said, “We have been moving around the country, and today it is the turn of Kogi State because most Nigerians are not aware of the existence of regulations guiding electricity supply to customers.

“When you pay for electricity, it is duty-bound on you as a customer to ensure that AEDC renders service to you. If they fail, you can report them to the Commission for immediate action.”

Speaking on metering, the Commissioner said it is the duty of the AEDC to provide meters free to customers and assured that the Commission would address such complaints.

In his opening remarks, the Managing Director of AEDC, Engr. Chyioke Okwuokenye, said the meeting was put together to address complaints from customers to enable the company to serve them better.

Engr. Okwuokenye, who was represented by the Chief Business Officer (CBO) in charge of Kogi State, Mr. Olaseni Agunpopo, commended customers for their cooperation and patronage.

In her overview of the rights and obligations of the customers, Mercy Ohamuche, a staff member of the Consumer Affairs Division of NERC, said the customers have the right to tender their complaints about poor electricity supply, and lack of meters, among others.

She added that the customers have the right to information, especially when AEDC is embarking on major repairs that will disrupt the supply of power to customers.

Speaking on the customer obligation, Okwuokenye said the customers have the obligation to pay their bills when due to enable AEDC to serve them better, noting that cordiality with the electricity workers is also the obligation of the customers.

“It is the obligation of the consumers to protect electricity equipment by reporting vandalization to the appropriate quarters.”

However, during the interactive session, a consumer, Barrister Henry Ojuola, from Phase Two Community in Lokoja, complained about some of the sharp practices of the AEDC in Lokoja.

According to him, they have had no electricity supply for two years, but the AEDC kept billing them, in addition to a payment of N1.8 million to replace their bad transformer, saying that AEDC also told them to pay another N2 million for the repair of the same transformer in February this year.

The case of the residents of Kenwo Community in Lokoja, who also continued to receive bills for a period of two years, even when they had no electricity supply, due to their damaged transformer.

Joseph Idakwoji, who led members of the community to the meeting, noted that the damaged transformer was a donation from a former senator in the area, and repairing it became very difficult for the AEDC.