178,864 meters installed as DisCos receive 325,898 complaints in Q2, 2023

No fewer than 178,864 pre-paid meters were installed in the Q2 of 2023, representing an increase of 3,586 against the 175,281 installed in 1Q of the same year.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) made this known in its Q2, 2023 report pasted on its website on Wednesday.

The commission said a total of 168,397 meters were installed under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) framework while 9,302 meters were installed under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) framework.

It said that the vendor and Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) financed framework recorded 1,143 and 22 meter installations respectively.

”The commission expects DisCos to utilise any of the five meter financing frameworks that have been provided in the 2021 Meter Asset

Provider and National Mass Metering Regulations.

”To close their respective metering gaps. As a safeguard for customers against exploitation due to the lack of meters,” the report said.

It added that the commission had continued to issue monthly energy caps for all feeders in each DisCo.

”This sets the maximum amount of energy that may be billed to an unmetered customer for the respective month based on gross energy received by the DisCo and consumption by metered customers,” the commission said.

Meanwhile, DisCos cumulatively received 325,898 complaints from consumers in the second quarter of 2023.

This was made known in the commission’s second quarter of 2023 report posted on its website in Abuja on Wednesday.

NERC said that the 325,898 complaints represent an increase of 76,215 compared with the 249,683 complaints received in the first quarter of 2023.

The report said that DisCos resolved a total of 313,442 complaints, corresponding to a 96.18 per-cent resolution rate when compared to the 91.76 per cent recorded in the first quarter of 2023.

”Metering, billing, and service interruption were the prevalent issues of customer complaints, accounting for more than 75 per cent of the total complaints during the quarter under review,“ it said.

NERC said that in pursuant to the provisions of its customer complaints handling standards and procedure regulations, it had to set up forum panels across the country.

According to the commission, panels were set up to review unresolved disputes from the DisCos’ Complaint Handling Units (Discos-CCU).

”The forum offices received a total of 1,485 new appeals in second quarter with 866 pending appeals from the first quarter.

“This brings the total of appeals from customers dissatisfied with Discos’ decision on the complaints lodged at the CCU to 2,351

”During the period, the forum Panels held 71 sittings and resolved 1,379, (58.66) per cent of the appeals filed at the forum Offices nationwide; the resolution rate was – lower than 64.38 per cent achieved in the first quater.

”The commission will continue to take measures that will ensure a more efficient customer complaint resolution process, ”it said.