NERC Urges Electricity Customers To Request for Refunds for Meters and Transformers Purchase

Electricity customers can ask for a return for items they purchased for DisCos, according to the National Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC).
According to the regulation, consumers are not responsible for obtaining assets for DisCos; instead, a return agreement must be executed.

Additionally, according to NERC, users who purchase metres under the National Metering Programme should receive a reimbursement in the form of energy credits.

It however said that consumers must adhere to a rule or condition set forth by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) before buying transformers, metres, poles, or any other asset for electricity distribution companies (DisCos).

According to the electrical regulator, consumers must sign a contract with the DisCos outlining the terms under which they will be reimbursed for the cost of any electricity assets they purchase, including transformers.

Dispute resolution language should be included in agreements with discos.
The three-day NERC/Abuja Electricity Distribution Company Consumer Complaint Resolution Meeting was held in Abuja, Nigeria, and according to a report, NERC’s Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, Aisha Mahmud, said this there.

Mahmud stated during the meeting that purchasing transformers or any other equipment for any discos is not the responsibility of electricity consumers.

A dispute resolution clause and other elements typical of a standard contract should be included in the agreement.

Mahmud’s words: “It is not the responsibility of the consumers to buy meters, poles or any assets for the DisCos because we have already provided for that in the utilities’ tariff. “But under any circumstances that you have to purchase this item and you cannot wait for the DisCos to make that investment, we have made provision for that under our “Investment Regulation.”

Mahmud claimed that NERC had created an investment law that required customers to get into an agreement in order to purchase transformers.

Mahmud insisted that the contract should specify what the Discos should be expected to provide. For instance, she suggested that the DisCos use internally generated revenue to buy the assets or borrow money from banks using stakeholder investment.

“Customers can come in and receive refunds if they are unable to purchase the assets,” according to Mahmud.

“Customers are not required to purchase metres, poles, or any other assets for the DisCos because we previously included that in the utilities’ rate.

You can read more of such stories at Credible News.

• In Three Months, Nigerian Electricity Users Pay N210 Billion
• FG Justifies Present Electricity Supply To Nigerians

Nevertheless, we have established provisions for that under our “Investment Regulation in the event that you are forced to buy this item and you are unable to wait for the DisCos to make that investment.”

One of NERC’s rules is that customers would receive energy credits during the supply of electricity as compensation for metres they purchased under the Mass Metering plan.

The power sector regulator stated in a letter titled: Notice Of Compliance in Respect of the Biannual Review of the Revenue Requirements of Licensees that the adjustment will take into account, among other things, changes in pertinent macroeconomic indices.

However, it noted that it might not always result in a tariff hike for consumers and that some end users might actually have their rates reduced depending on the information available.

You can read more of such stories at Credible News and The Cheer News