Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has said that replacement of meters or repairs of transformers, poles, and other related electricity equipment used in energy distribution is not the responsibility of consumers.
FCCPC made this clarification through a tweet yesterday morning. The agency cited evidence from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) document titled “Regulations for investments in electricity networks in Nigeria.”
According to the government agency, electricity consumers can acquire meters through the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) framework. It affirmed that the obligation to ensure that all electricity consumers are metered remains with the electricity distribution companies (Discos) under Meter Asset Provider (MAP) regulations 2018.
NERC stipulates that this is consistent with their respective licensing terms & conditions, whereas Section 4 (1) of the said regulations that provides that, inter alia, “Distribution licensee is responsible for the achievement of metering targets as specified by the Commission from time to time.”
Furthermore, Section 4 (3) of the MAP Regulation requires that all distribution licensees shall engage the services of a Meter Asset Provider(s) towards meeting the metering targets as specified by the Commission and in accordance with the provisions of the MAP Regulations 2018.
NERC says the Discos were expected to engage MAP(s) within 120 days of coming into effect of the regulations. The deadline was fixed for July 31, 2018, but was extended to November 30, 2018, to engender more competition between potential MAPs thus providing better value for consumers.
Several of the Discos experienced slippage in the timeline stipulated by the Commission and this infraction is being handled in line with the enforcement regulations of the Commission, according to the agency.
Discos on the other hand, are responsible for refunding or compensating customers who paid for the meters in advance. The cost of the meter is to be reimbursed in 36 equal monthly payments using consumer-purchased energy credits.
The tweet yesterday read “Electricity Consumer Right/Responsibility: It is not the responsibility of the customer or the community to purchase, replace or repair transformers, poles or other associated equipment used in the distribution of electricity”
According to a question in its Q&A section, when asked “If transformers are faulty, are residents responsible for its provision and installation, the answer given by the agency stating thus: “Faulty transformers are supposed to be replaced by the Electricity Distribution Company (Disco) within 48 hours of the official complaint being made.
“The electricity distribution company (Disco) is responsible for such replacements or repairs,” NERC said, explaining that residents can replace faulty equipment if they enter an agreement with the Disco
“However, if the electricity company (Disco) is unable to speedily replace the faulty transformer, residents may go into discussions with the company and agree on the terms of the replacement of the affected transformer if they so wish to assume the responsibility of the company,” the agency said.
It added that consumers who intend to go into such discussions with Disco are strongly advised to read the Commission’s guidelines for such agreements before doing so.
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