The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has ordered electricity distribution companies to refund a total of ₦20.33bn in outstanding meter costs to customers under the Meter Asset Provider framework.
The directive was contained in Order No: NERC/2026/025, which amends a previous 2023 order. The order was signed by the NERC Chairman, Musiliu Oseni, and the Commissioner, Legal, Licensing and Compliance at NERC, Dafe Akpeneye, on February 27, 2026.
According to the commission, the distribution companies are to recover and fully disburse the outstanding sum to affected customers over a 12-month period beginning from March 1, 2026.
Under the Meter Asset Provider framework, customers pay upfront for meters, while DisCos are expected to refund them through energy credits spread over an approved amortisation period.
However, NERC noted that the pace of reimbursement had been slow over the years, prompting the issuance of a new order to enforce compliance.
The commission stated that as of December 31, 2025, DisCos had failed to fully reimburse customers for meters procured under the MAP scheme, leaving an outstanding ₦20.33bn.
It explained that the new order was aimed at preventing recurring delays in reimbursements, improving customer notification, and strengthening credibility and confidence in the electricity sector.
“In February 2026, the commission reviewed the level of compliance of DisCos with the expected reimbursement to customers who have paid for meters under the MAP framework,” the order read.
It added that all reimbursements for meters procured under the scheme would henceforth be fully automated on customers’ accounts.
“DisCos shall ensure that the total cost of a MAP meter is recognised as credit on the customer’s account upon activation of the meter and disbursed automatically as monthly credits over the approved amortisation period,” the commission stated.
The order also directed that meter reimbursement credits must not be offset against customers’ legacy debts.
“DisCos shall not offset meter reimbursement credits against customer legacy debts; the items must be treated separately,” it said.
For prepaid customers, the commission mandated that DisCos automatically generate monthly tokens representing the reimbursement. For postpaid customers, the reimbursement must appear as a distinct credit line item on their bills.
“For customers with prepaid meters, no later than the 4th day of every month, the DisCo’s billing system will automatically generate a token with an energy value equivalent to the monthly reimbursement which the customer is due to receive over the 120-month amortisation period based on the prevailing tariff for the customer.
“For post-paid customers, the monthly reimbursement of the cost of a MAP meter shall appear as a distinct credit line item which is expected to be subtracted from the customer’s total payable for the month,” the commission added.
NERC further mandated all DisCos to submit monthly compliance reports and establish dedicated complaint channels for affected customers.
“All DisCos shall file monthly reports with the commission detailing the total monetary value of the reimbursement to customers through energy credit, in accordance with the template approved by the commission.
“All DisCos shall establish a dedicated email address for the receipt of complaints from customers who have not received MAP meter cost reimbursements. Details of such complaints, including the status of their resolution, shall form part of the monthly compliance reports submitted to the commission,” it stated.
To recover the ₦20.33bn arrears, the commission directed DisCos to accelerate repayment over 12 months starting from March 1, 2026.
“To recover the sum of ₦20.33bn that was not reimbursed to customers as at 31 December 2025, DisCos shall accelerate the rate of recovery for the affected customers over 12 months commencing from 1 March 2026,” the order added.
The commission noted that during the accelerated repayment period, prepaid customers would receive two tokens monthly, while postpaid customers would see two reimbursement line items on their bills.
Credit: megaiconmagazine.com
