Eko Power has resolved a dispute with a Lekki Phase 1 customer after the customer installed an 18kW solar system and faced a disconnection notice and ₦112,606 “Loss of Revenue” demand for low grid consumption.
In a press release dated 22 October 2026, the company stated that solar use is never a basis for disconnection, the disputed charge has been cancelled in full, the faulty meter has been replaced at no cost, and no back-billing or other charges will apply. The customer was never disconnected.
The issue originated with Raphael Awoseyin’s public account dated 19 October 2026, followed by a follow-up statement on 21 October.
Awoseyin wrote that he was “astounded by public reaction” to his story of how the distributor “billed me and ordered my meter disconnection for not consuming their electricity.” He said the story “generated considerable interest nationwide.”
He described the rapid response: “I posted my story on two WhatsApp platforms in the afternoon. Before the end of the day, possibly up to 10 people who didn’t know me but saw it forwarded it to NERC (the regulator).
“NERC immediately forwarded it to EKEDC demanding an explanation. Meanwhile, EKEDC was separately being innundated by many more Nigerians demanding explanation for what happened! Within 24h
“I had received calls from 3 EKEDC managers apologizing profusely for what happened and promising to replace my meter (which I don’t believe is faulty) with a smart meter within a week! All the calls from EKEDC were very sincerely polite.”
He thanked those who helped: “I thank everyone who did anything to publicize or help resolve the matter. I want everyone of such people to know that they are helping to make Nigeria a better country.”
Questions Over Use of Renewable Energy
Awoseyin used the episode to raise a wider issue. “As more Nigerians resort to renewable energy, mostly solar, to help themselves out of the dual whammy of poor availability and higher (Band A) tariff for public power, what are the implications for the DisCos?”
He explained the field staff’s assumption: “The incident at my property was basically that an EKEDC personnel assumed that if their power meter at a property is not running while electrical appliances are running, then it is either that the resident has fraudulently bypassed the meter or that the meter is faulty.
“It did not cross his mind that the customer could be on a completely different supply system. Clearly, an immediate action for all DisCos is to sensitise their field staff to this reality.”
On verification, he suggested: “DisCos should have a right to demand verification perhaps monthly. The verification would be like what I had done with better-informed EKEDC field inspectors in the past: For a few minutes, bypass the solar inverter to switch to public power, and watch the meter register consumption. That should satisfy the field inspector.”
He warned of a structural threat: “In many countries, public power business is sustained largely by industrial consumers who typically pay the highest tariff. Those high tariffs make it possible for the power companies to charge affordable tariffs for domestic consumption. However, in Nigeria, most serious industries have invested in their own power generation. This leaves the public power companies relying on domestic consumers for sustenance. Today, the ‘Band A’ customers bear the brunt of the high tariffs that keep the DisCos afloat.
“It turns out that the Band A consumers are also usually the consumers with the financial resources to invest in solar power that can take them off-grid totally. And that is happening fast. The result is dwindling income for DisCos.
“My view is that DisCos must reinvent themselves to survive. Today, they all rely on power allocated to them from the national grid to serve their customers. That is not sustainable. They need a new business model.”
Eko Power’s subsequent statement confirmed the charge was cancelled, the notice withdrawn, the meter replaced free of charge after testing showed it was not working correctly, and that solar customers “will never be penalized.” Low consumption, the company said, is not a reason to disconnect anyone.
Recommended headline: Eko Power Cancels ₦112,606 Charge, Replaces Meter for Lekki Solar Customer
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Meta description: Eko Power has cancelled a ₦112,606 loss-of-revenue charge against a Lekki solar customer and replaced his meter at no cost after public complaints.
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