The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has directed electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to replace obsolete meters for their customers at no cost.
The mandate was outlined in a statement released by the regulatory body’s management on Monday.
The directive came after some electricity companies required customers to replace Unistar brand prepaid meters.
Following the directive, Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) and the Eko Electric Distribution Company (EKEDC) announced that the Unistar prepaid meters which were first deployed over 10 years ago, would no longer be supported from November 14, due to technological upgrades and the token identifier (TID) rollover issue.
NERC emphasised that the cost of meter replacement falls solely on the distribution companies and reiterated that no customer should be subjected to estimated billing.
“The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission is aware that some Distribution Companies (DisCos) have instructed customers to apply and pay for the replacement of faulty and obsolete meters within their franchise areas.
