NERC Orders Discos to Publish Meter Refund Details
The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has ordered all electricity distribution companies (Discos) to disclose details of refunds made to customers who purchased meters under the Meter Asset Providers (MAP) scheme.
This directive was announced by NERC on its social media platforms on Monday. The announcement followed the commission’s first Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) Stakeholders meeting of 2025.
The MAP framework allows third-party investors to provide and maintain end-use meters as a service, with customers paying metering service charges. According to NERC regulations, customers who choose to pay upfront for meters under this scheme must be refunded through energy credits issued by the Discos. The refund schedule is subject to approval by the commission, taking into account the financial standing of each distribution company.
However, consumer groups have raised concerns over the inconsistency of Discos in refunding customers who procured meters under the MAP scheme. In response, NERC has mandated Discos to make refund details publicly available on their websites to enhance transparency and encourage more customers to participate in the scheme.
“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.
See Also: NERC Orders Discos to Publish Meter Refund Details
With over seven million unmetered electricity consumers in the country, the Federal Government has intensified efforts to bridge the metering gap. Recently, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Energy, Olu Verheijen, reiterated the administration’s commitment to ensuring all electricity customers are metered to curb revenue losses in the power 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.
Meanwhile, during its first NESI Stakeholders meeting of 2025, held at its headquarters, NERC engaged industry stakeholders in discussions on various issues affecting the power sector. Topics covered included tariff methodology and the impact of the state transition, NESI liquidity, financial assessment of the electricity market, and the shift to a multi-tier electricity market involving state electricity regulatory commissions, among others.
“The quarterly meeting brings together energy stakeholders to discuss the state of the NESI and address critical issues in the sector,” NERC said.
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