Ikeja, Eko DisCos Customers Top As NERC Receives 4,469 Complaints

Electricity Consumers within the Ikeja and Eko Electricity Distribution Companies’ franchise lodged 1,704 and 1,052 complaints in the second quarter of 2024, a report by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has revealed.

This is just as the commission disclosed that 49,188 meters were installed during the period under review.

The report, which NERC posted on its website on Thursday, a copy sighted by THE WHISTLER, also revealed that the complaints lodged by the Ikeja and Eko DisCos Customers accounted for 38.13 percent  and 23.54 percent respectively for the total
4,469 complaints were received during the period.

The report said 1,000 of the complaints were resolved, corresponding to a 22.38 percent resolution rate.

“Conversely, Aba Power had 16, and this accounted for the lowest number of complaints, representing 0.36 percent.
During the quarter, customer complaints about billing constituted 30.90 percent of the total complaints.

“Other common issues among the 4,469 complaints received were complaints about tariff band amounting to 24.70 percent.

“Service interruption represented 17.92 percent of the complaints,  metering represented 17.72 percent and these four complaints categories cumulatively accounted for 91.25 percent of the total complaints in the quarter, ‘’ it said.

On the meter installations, the report stated that a total of 49,188 meters were installed in the second quarter of 2024, which represents a decrease of 60.86 per cent compared to the 125,664 meters installed in the first quarter.

The report said during the quarter, 35,985 meters representing 73.16 percent of the total installations were installed under the Meter Asset Providers (MAP) framework.

It said 264 meters, representing 0.54 percent, were installed under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) framework.

“The Vendor Financed framework accounted for 12,843 meters representing 26.11 percent of the installations, while 96-meter installations were recorded under the DisCo Financed framework representing 0.20 percent of the installations, ‘’ it said.

The report said it expected the Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to utilise a combination of the five-meter financing frameworks that have been provided in the 2021 Meter Asset Provider and National Mass Metering Programme.

It said the meter framework recommended by the commission was to close their respective metering gaps as a safeguard for customers against exploitation due to the lack of meters.