The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has delivered a judgment in favour of consumers, ordering electricity distribution companies to refund a total of ₦20.33bn in outstanding meter costs.

The judgment contained in Order No: NERC/2026/025, which amends the previous 2023 order, was signed by the NERC Chairman, Musiliu Oseni, and the Commissioner, Legal, Licensing & Compliance at NERC, Dafe Akpeneye, on February 27, 2026.

According to the new order, DisCos are to recover and fully disburse the fund to affected customers over 12 months from March 1, 2026.

Under the Meter Asset Provider framework (MAP) scheme, customers pay for meters and are refunded by their DisCos through energy credits.

However, the commission noted that the level of refunds had been very slow over the years, necessitating a new order.

NERC stated that, as of December 31, 2025, DisCos had failed to reimburse customers for meters procured under the MAP framework, leaving an outstanding ₦20.33bn.

The Order is intended to prevent repeated delays in reimbursements, optimise customer notification, and strengthen sector credibility and confidence.

“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.

According to the new order, DisCos have an outstanding amount of ₦20.33bn to reimburse customers for meters procured under the MAP framework as at 31 December 2025.

The electricity market regulator stated that all reimbursements to customers for meters procured under the MAP framework would be fully automated on customer accounts, saying, “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.”

DisCos were also instructed that meter reimbursement credits cannot be offset against customer legacy debt.

“DisCos shall not offset meter reimbursement credits against customer legacy debts; the items must be treated separately,” the order stated.

For prepaid customers, DisCos must automatically generate monthly tokens representing the reimbursement, while for postpaid customers, the reimbursement must appear as a distinct credit on their bills.

NERC said, “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.”

NERC also mandated monthly reporting and a dedicated complaints channel 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 said.

To recover the N20.33bn arrears, DisCos are to accelerate repayment over 12 months. The order noted that prepaid customers will receive two tokens per month, while postpaid customers will see two reimbursement line items on their bills.

“To recover the sum of N20.33bn that was not reimbursed to customers as at 31 December 2025, DisCos shall accelerate the rate of recovery for the affected customers over a 12-month period commencing from 1 March 2026,” the order added. (Channels TV)

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