ANED makes clarification on NERC’s directive

The 11 electricity distribution companies have stated that following the directive by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC) on the metering of Maximum Demand (MD) customers, this is not applicable to all electricity consumers.

It explained that the MD customers are commercial and industrial customers who consume high levels of electricity and contribute substantially to the revenues of Distribution Companies (DisCos).

Read also: NERC clarifies directive on customers’ exempted from billing

A statement issued by the Chief Executive Officer of the umbrella body of the DisCos, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), Mr Azu Obiaya in Abuja on Wednesday stated that the consumption threshold for MD customers is 45KVA.

In his explanations, he said the MD meters are connected on the 11Kv (High tension wire) electricity lines, mostly on dedicated transformers adding that the customers include heavy users of electricity like commercial business plazas, large firms, and small-scale industries among others.

“We recognize that significant interest in the NERC notice is directly linked to our customers’ requirement that they be metered.  And rightly so.”

“It is critically important that we state that there is no more interested party in the comprehensive metering of our electricity consumers than the DisCos.  And this is because we understand and fully appreciate the importance of the balance between electricity consumers tracking their consumption versus DisCos having a measure of electricity supplied to their customers, that metering brings. It is our hope and expectation that such metering will be achieved sooner rather than later,” the statement partly read.

It further stated that: “While we continue to operate with the estimated billing methodology that is approved and mandated by NERC, we are working diligently towards addressing the metering obligations specified under our Performance Agreements with the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), as well as ensuring that we continue to be sensitive and responsive to the inadvertent challenges of estimated billing that our residential or non-MD customers are faced with.”

“Again, please note that the NERC directive only applies to MD customers and not residential customers. NERC has made the clarification as well, which is available on their website and publicised.”