- NERC to review consumer regulations
- Five regulations will be reviewed
- Issues consultation paper
The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued a consultation paper calling for inputs for the review of existing consumer protection regulations. Accordingly, the Commission has begun the process for the review of five key existing consumer regulations.
The regulations to be reviewed include, Customer Complaints Handling: Standards and Procedures Regulation 2006; Meter Reading, Billing, Cash Collections and Credit management for Electricity Supplies Regulation 2007; Customers Service Standard of Performance for Distribution Companies 2007; Connection and Disconnection Procedures for Electricity Services 2007; and Methodology for Determination of Connection Charges for Electricity Supply 2012.
“The Commission is desirous of reviewing the regulations to align them with the current realities in order to ensure the interests of customers are protected,” the consultation paper read.
Some of the proposals for the amendment include consumer compensation for wrongful disconnection. The proposed amendment seeks to compensate the consumer with 100% daily consumption or a daily cap for the number of days the consumer was disconnected. Another proposed amendment is the reduction of the disconnection date for debtors. The Commission proposes a debtor can be disconnected 10 days past the payment due date; this is an amendment from 30 days in the Connection and Disconnection Procedures for Electricity Services 2007.
The Commission has also stated that some Distribution Companies (DisCos) have sent in their proposed amendments to the regulations for review.