Report by NASIR MALALI; Editing by BASIRAT MEMUDU
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has advised customers of electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to understand their rights and obligations to ensure efficient electricity supply services.
NERC Head of Consumer Enlightenment, Mr. Babatunde Zubair stated this at the end of a three-day Town Hall and Customer Complaint Resolution Meeting held in Sokoto state recently.
He noted that it is crucial for customers to clearly understand their rights and obligations in a bid to ensure reliable electricity supply, fair billing, and accurate metering.
Mr Zubair explained that NERC which is an independent body saddled with the mandate to regulate the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry is committed to ensuring sustainable and affordable electricity in the country.
He said customers have the right to fair billing, stressing that under the right for fair billing, NERC regulates the billing rate to ensure customers are charged fairly for the electricity they consume.
The Head of Consumer Enlightenment stressed that customers have the right to accurate billing and free metering, adding that NERC ensures that DisCos provide meters to customers to measure their electricity consumption accurately.
According to him, the other rights include complaints resolution, right to Reliable Electricity Supply, right to information affecting electricity supply, right to clear terms and conditions of service, right to electricity services that meet safety and quality standards and right to consumer education and awareness programmes that promote understanding of electricity usage and conservation.
Zubair however said customers have obligations that they are expected to fulfil to enable the DisCos to provide efficient services.
“These obligations include timely payment of bills, reporting faulty supply or issues, and obligations to protect their meters.
“The rest are providing access to premises or property for meter readings and issues related to electricity services and the obligation to comply with regulations related to service delivery among others”, he added.
Radio Nigeria reports that the meeting centred on discussions between Kaduna DisCo, consumers and other stakeholders on how to improve the efficiency of electricity supply services.
