- The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission announced new penalties for unathorised access, meter tampering, and by-pass
- The amended order stipulates that offenders will pay up to N300,000
- It also announced reconnection conditions and charges, as well as compensation for delayed reconnection
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has introduced new penalties for unauthorised access to electricity, meter tampering, and by-pass.
In a post shared on its official X account on Tuesday, February 18, the NERC said the amended order replaces Order No: NERC/REG/41/2017.
The NERC also stated that the new order took effect on January 22, 2025, and aligns with the Electricity Act 2023 and the Customer Protection Regulations (CPR) 2023.
It said the amendment is to strengthen enforcement against electricity theft and ensure compliance with metering regulations.
“This amendment aligns with the Electricity Act 2023 and the Customer Protection Regulations (CPR) 2023, which allows Distribution Companies to disconnect unauthorised connections without notice and prescribe clear conditions for reconnection,” the NERC stated.
The regulator said the objectives of the amendment include: reducing unauthorised access to electricity, meter tampering, and by-pass, and establishing transparent reconnection guidelines to ensure compliance and deter future violations.
Offenders to pay up to N300,000
With the revised order, offenders face stiffer financial penalties for unauthorised electricity access, meter tampering, and by-pass.
The revised fines mean that offenders under Non-MD (Maximum Demand) single-phase meters will pay N100,000 for a first offence and N150,000 for a subsequent offence.
Also, Non-MD three-phase meters offenders will pay N200,000 for a first offence and N300,000 for a subsequent offence.
Reconnection conditions and charges
The NERC also stipulated that customers who bypass meters or gain unathorised access must pay administrative charges, including meter replacement costs as well as reconnection costs.
It said an offender will only be reconnected upon payment of administrative charges, including meter replacement costs, which should not exceed the earlier stated amounts.
The regulator said the reconnection costs are N10,000 for Non-MD and N50,000 for MD customer class.
Compensation for delayed reconnection
According to the NERC, if DisCos fail to reconnect a customer within 48 hours after payment, they must compensate the customer with 100 per cent of daily energy consumption in energy credit.
It also stated that customers guilty of unathorised access must pay for the loss of revenue through back-billing at the prevailing tariff.
NERC releases step-by-step guideline on electricity tariff review for DisCos
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) issued guidelines on the procedure for tariff reviews by electricity distribution companies (DisCos).
The NERC, in the latest order signed by its Chairman, Sanusi Garba, stated that pursuant to the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, the commission is obligated to review and approve a fair tariff to allow licencees to recover prudent costs and a reasonable return on capital invested in the business for the provision of electricity services.
