Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has imposed a hefty fine of N200 million on Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) for failing to comply with the prescribed customer band classifications for tariff billing.
A statement issued by NERC management on Friday, said AEDC was fined over non-compliance with the Supplementary Order to the April 2024 Multi-Year Tariff Order.
According to the statement, the decision to fine AEDC followed a detailed review and customer feedback, which revealed that Disco had applied the new tariff to all customer bands, contrary to the order, which was designed to ensure fair billing practices.
NERC subsequently mandated AEDC to reimburse all customers in Bands B, C, D and E respectively that were billed above the allowed customer categories/tariff bands provided in the Order.
It also asked AEDC to reimburse through the provision of the balance of customer tokens that the affected customers would be entitled to receive at the applicable rates, adding that all token reimbursements shall be issued to the affected customers by April 11, 2024.
The regulatory body also asked AEDC to “pay the sum of $200,000,000.00 (Two Hundred Million Naira) as a fine for the flagrant breach of the Commission’s Order,” and “file evidence of compliance with the directives in a & c with the Commission by 12 April 2024.”
NERC said the action underscores its commitment to protecting consumer rights and ensuring equitable practices within Nigeria’s electricity sector.
