The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has warned electricity consumers and businesses found guilty of bypassing electricity meters, of a new fine order while reinforcing its stance against electricity theft.
The regulator in a revised Order on “Unauthorised Access, Meter Tampering, and Bypass, outlined new regulations to curb illegal electricity connections in the country.
The revised order, NERC said, seeks to “mitigate unauthorised access to electricity supply through measures addressing tampering and meter bypass, as well as, establish clear guidelines for the reconnection of unauthorised connections ensuring transparency and compliance”.
This new directive replaces the previous directive, Order No: NERC/REG/41/2017, and takes effect on 22 January 2025.
The order aligns with the Electricity Act 2023 and the Customer Protection Regulations (CPR) 2023, reinforcing compliance measures and ensuring better enforcement against meter violations.
Under the new framework, distribution companies (DisCos) now have the authority to disconnect illegal connections without prior notice. Also, clear reconnection guidelines have been established, ensuring transparency and discouraging repeat offences.
The regulator warned that consumers caught tampering with their meters will face significant financial penalties.
For non-Maximum Demand (MD) meters, the fine for a first offence is set at N100,000 for single-phase meters and N200,000 for three-phase meters. Subsequent violations will attract higher penalties of N150,000 and N300,000, respectively.
The commission has urged consumers to ensure compliance with metering regulations to avoid fines and disconnection.
Additionally, DisCos have been directed to launch awareness campaigns to educate customers on the legal and financial consequences of meter tampering, emphasising the need to regularise their electricity connections.
Part of a broader push to curb electricity distribution problems
One of the prevailing issues hampering the supply of electricity in Nigeria is vandalism of electricity distribution infrastructure.
In January, the Transmission Company of Nigeria(TCN) reported the vandalism of more than 18 transmission towers across the country.
In response to this, the Nigerian Minister of the Interior announced a plan to create a security outfit aimed at curbing electricity vandalism in the country.
The TCN has stated that vandalism incidents pose a significant challenge to their operations citing the strain it poses on grid expansion plans.
In response to the frequent vandalism, the TCN said it has taken measures to ensure the security of the nation’s electricity transmission infrastructure by increasing lines patrol, number of vigilante groups and collaborating with security operatives.
