From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Following poor electricity supply and overcharging of the customers in its franchise areas, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has fined Abuja Electricity Distribution (AEDC) N200 million.
This was contained in a statement issued by the regulator.
According to NERC, AEDC must reimburse affected customers by April 11. On April 4, AEDC, in a statement, said a system glitch led the company to overcharge some Band A customers, who have already been downgraded to Band B due to the number of hours of electricity supply enjoyed over the past few weeks.
The customers were overcharged while trying to recharge their meters following the new tariff regime. NERC, on April 3, approved the increase in electricity tariff for Band A customers. The commission said customers who receive 20 hours of electricity supply daily will pay N225 per kilowatt (kW), starting from April 3. NERC also said the decision followed a detailed review and customer feedback, which revealed AEDC had applied the new tariff to all customer bands, contrary to the regulator’s directive, which was designed to ensure fair billing practices.
NERC said AEDC is mandated 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
“Reimburse through the provision of the balance of customer tokens that the affected customers would be entitled to receive at the applicable rates and all token reimbursements shall be issued to the affected customers by April 11, 2024.
“Pay the sum of N200 million as a fine for the flagrant breach of the Commission’s Order.
“File evidence of compliance with the directives in A & C with the commission by April 12, 2024” the statement noted Also, the fine underscores the regulator’s commitment to protecting consumer rights and ensuring equitable practices within Nigeria’s electricity sector.