NERC Introduces New Penalties for Meter Bypass Offenders in Nigeria
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has announced new penalties for individuals and businesses caught bypassing electricity meters. The revised Order on Unauthorised Access, Meter Tampering, and Bypass, which took effect on January 22, 2025, replaces Order No: NERC/REG/41/2017.
According to NERC statement on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the new directive aligns with the Electricity Act 2023 and the Customer Protection Regulations (CPR) 2023 to curb electricity theft and strengthen metering compliance.
Key Highlights of the Revised Order
The new regulation grants electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) the power to disconnect unauthorized connections without prior notice. It also sets clear guidelines for reconnection, with the objectives of:
Reducing unauthorized access to electricity, meter tampering, and bypass.
Establishing transparent reconnection procedures to enforce compliance and deter future violations.
New Fines for Offenders
NERC has introduced stricter financial penalties for consumers found guilty of meter tampering and bypassing:
Non-Maximum Demand (Non-MD) Single-phase meters
First offence: 100,000
Subsequent offence: 150,000
Non-Maximum Demand (Non-MD) Three-phase meters
First offence: 200,000
Subsequent offence: 300,000
Implications for Electricity Consumers
The new penalties underscore NERC commitment to reducing energy losses and ensuring consumers pay for the electricity they consume. The commission stressed that strict enforcement would help curb electricity theft, improve revenue collection for DisCos, and ultimately enhance service delivery.
Consumers are advised to comply with metering regulations to avoid disconnection and financial penalties. Additionally, DisCos have been directed to launch awareness campaigns educating customers about the risks of meter tampering and the importance of legal electricity connections.
What You Should Know
In January 2025, NERC urged DisCos to develop a framework for asset and liability delineation to enhance effective regulation. As of recent data, Nigeria has 13,339,635 registered electricity customers across 12 DisCos, with 7,182,909 (53.85%) yet to be metered.
In November 2024, NERC mandated DisCos to provide Band A customers with at least 20 hours of daily electricity supply.
The new directive reinforces NERCs drive to sanitize Nigeria electricity sector and improve service delivery through strict regulatory enforcement.
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Reference
NERC introduces new penalties for meter by-pass offenders in Nigeria