Deploy smart technologies to tackle electricity theft, NERC tells DisCos

THE Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has advised electricity distribution companies(DisCos) to deploy smart technologies in tackling the menace of electricity theft and meter bypassing.

This is even as it noted that some Maximum Demand (MD) customers are still unmetered stressing the need for DisCos to pay attention to MD Meters within their franchise being bypassed and compromised.

This was contained in a communique issued after the Commission’s Chairman Professor James Momoh first meeting with Electricity Distribution Companies in Abuja.

The commission also stressed the need to uphold customer service standards especially as it relates to refund of monies collected from customers for meters under the scrapped CAPMI Scheme.

It further raised concerns over non-compliance of the Discos with the Estimated Billing Methodology, disregard for safety standards and the poor state of the Forum Offices as well as large backlog or unresolved cases.

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To this end, it resolved that Electricity Distribution Companies should ensure that estimated bills are kept within reasonable levels according to the Methodology even before the MAP regulation and capping regulation come into full effect.

While also noting the importance of Inter-Relationships between Electricity Distribution Companies, it condemned the activities of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors(ANED).

“A strict adherence to contract agreement signed by the Commission’s Licensees (Discos) was re-echoed as the only binding legal entity that should form the continued relationship between the Commission and Electricity Distribution Companies.

“The meeting agreed henceforth the Legal Counsel of the Electricity Distribution Companies representing ANED should never in whatsoever way interfere with the policy directives or regulatory pronouncements made either by the Honorable Minister of Power or the Commission.

“That no unwarranted remark should be made by ANED representatives against the person of the Honorable Minister, NERC Chairman or against any of the NERC Commissioner going forward,” the communique reads.