The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, has been slapped with a fine of N200m by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, for increasing the bill of power consumers not on the band A list.
This is coming 48 hours after NERC announced an increase in tariff from N66 to N255 per kilowatts for consumers using up to 20 hours of electricity per day. But it seems the AEDC went ahead of themselves and included those not on the list.
The NERC said in a statement Friday, the AEDC failed to comply with customer classification tariff billing.
“This decision follows a detailed review and customer feedback, which revealed that AEDC had applied the new tariff to all customer bands, contrary to the order, which was designed to ensure fair billing practices.
“AEDC is therefore mandated to: a. reimburse all customers in Bands B, C, D, and E, respectively, that were billed above the allowed customer categories/tariff bands provided in the order. b. Reimburse through the provision of the balance of customer tokens that the affected customers would be entitled to receive at the applicable rates, and all token reimbursements shall be issued to the affected customers by 11 April 2024.
“c. pay the sum of ₦200,000,000.00 (Two Hundred Million Naira) as a fine for the flagrant breach of the Commission’s Order. d.File evidence of compliance with the directives in a & c with the Commission by 12 April 2024”.
The Commission explained that its action “underscores its commitment to protecting consumer rights and ensuring equitable practices within Nigeria’s electricity sector.”
AEDC admitted on Thursday that some customers were wrongly billed, blaming it on a glitch in its system.
It stated, “This is to inform customers across the Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc (AEDC) franchise that we are aware of the wrong charges faced by some Band A customers who tried to recharge their meters following the new tariff regime.
“This was due to a system glitch caused by the reclassification of some Band A customers who have now been downgraded to Band B due to the number of hours of electricity supply enjoyed over the past few weeks. These erstwhile Band A customers who vended were charged the new tariff of N225 per kilowatt hour. Our team is working to identify the customers affected, and all excess charges will be refunded.
