NERC Introduces New Penalties for Meter Tampering Offenders in Nigeria

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has rolled out new, penalties for individuals and businesses caught bypassing or tampering with electricity meters. This decision was communicated through a revised Order on Unauthorised Access, Meter Tampering, and Bypass, which was shared via NERC’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday. This new order supersedes the previous Order No: NERC/REG/41/2017.

Effective January 22, 2025, this revised order is in line with the Electricity Act 2023 and the Customer Protection Regulations (CPR) 2023. It aims to strengthen the enforcement against electricity theft and ensure adherence to metering standards.

The revised regulations empower Distribution Companies (DisCos) to disconnect unauthorized connections immediately without prior notice. Furthermore, it outlines explicit conditions under which reconnection can occur, aiming to:

• Reduce unauthorized access to electricity, meter tampering, and bypass.
• Establish transparent reconnection guidelines to deter future violations and ensure compliance.

Revised Penalties for Offenders

The new fines introduced for meter tampering and bypass are as follows:

Non-MD (Maximum Demand) Single-phase meters:

• First offence: N100,000
• Subsequent offence: N150,000

Non-MD Three-phase meters:

• First offence: N200,000
• Subsequent offence: N300,000

Implications for Electricity Consumers

These penalties underscore NERC’s commitment to curbing energy losses, ensuring consumers pay for the electricity they consume, and enhancing revenue collection for DisCos, which in turn should improve service delivery. Consumers are urged to maintain compliant metering systems to avoid penalties and disconnections.

DisCos are now tasked with conducting awareness campaigns to educate consumers on the risks associated with meter tampering and the benefits of regularizing their electricity connections.

In January, NERC pushed for DisCos to develop a framework for identifying assets and liabilities to improve regulatory effectiveness. This was highlighted by NERC Chairman Sanusi Garba, who stressed the need for a transparent approach in the ongoing electricity sector reforms. Discussions among stakeholders focused on best practices and challenges in asset and liability delineation.

Current State of Metering in Nigeria

According to NERC, out of 13,339,635 registered electricity customers across 12 DisCos, only 53.85% (7,182,909 customers) have been metered, as reported by Nairametrics.

In November 2024, NERC mandated that DisCos ensure Band A customers receive a minimum of 20 hours of daily power supply, showcasing the regulatory body’s intent to improve service quality alongside enforcement of compliance.

This revised regulatory framework by NERC aims at fostering a more disciplined and compliant electricity consumption culture among Nigerian consumers, ultimately aiming at reducing losses and enhancing the overall efficiency of the electricity sector.

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