Regulator cracks down on Disco in Enugu, orders refund for 20,000 customers, details emerge

• The contented of overbilling has remained a contentious 1 betwixt energy consumers and distributors successful Nigeria
• This is much prevalent successful areas wherever customers are inactive connected the postpaid program and person to await the estimated bills from the Discos
• The Enugu energy regulator has uncovered respective cases of overbilling and fixed the disco directives to refund each affected customers wrong 60 days

Legit.ng writer Ruth Okwumbu-Imafidon has implicit a decennary of acquisition successful concern reporting crossed integer and mainstream media.

There is jubilation among energy consumers successful Enugu State arsenic the regulator has taken enactment connected respective complaints of overbilling.

The Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) has issued a directive ordering MainPower Electricity Distribution Company to refund implicit 20,000 customers who were overbilled successful April 2025.

The regulator issued a announcement connected 30 May 2025, stating that it had conducted a broad probe into the disco’s billing practices and discovered a worrisome fig of billing violations.

The Disco has the adjacent 2 billing cycles to effect the refund of look the penalties. Photo credit: Nurphoto/Contributor
Source: UGC

Regulator uncovers Disco billing violations

The notice, signed by Chijioke Okonkwo, the EERC’s chairman, and Reuben Okoye, its commissioner successful complaint of marketplace operations, disclosed that the billing violations had risen notably successful caller times.

The regulator focused connected the irregularities discovered successful the period of April 2025 and ordered the disco to refund the customers the overbilled units for the period nether review.

The Disco has until the extremity of the July 2025 billing rhythm to implicit the refunds, arsenic determination volition beryllium penalties for nonaccomplishment to comply.

The Enugu authorities regulator explained that it had been monitoring the disco’s billing practices since October 2024, amid respective complaints from customers.

It had besides sent aggregate letters of informing to the disco, calling attraction to the observed irregularities, but nary enactment was taken.

The notice read:

“The committee precocious reviewed MainPower’s April 2025 estimated report, and observed that the grade of usurpation of the caps connected estimated billing by MainPower had further deteriorated from the 24% observed successful February and March 2025, to 34% successful April 2025.”

It added that the issues raised successful the commission’s missive dated 16 December were not addressed successful the effect from the disco.

"The committee hereby orders the pursuing enforcement actions against MainPower:i. That MainPower shall refund the equivalent fig of vigor units successful the April 2025 overbill to the affected customers;ii. That MainPower shall refund the overbilled vigor units to the affected customers wrong the June 2025 billing cycle, but not aboriginal than the July 2025 billing cycle."

Customers who bash not person their refunds by the expiration of the deadline person been urged to nonstop an email to the regulator astatine [email protected] oregon telephone 09122642755 for assistance.

Regulator lists penalties for non-compliance

The EERC announcement added that non-compliance volition pull a regular good of N500,000 for each time aft the deadline, arsenic stated successful the Enugu State Electricity Law 2023.

In effecting the refund, MainPower is expected to present a enactment point connected their estimated billing termed “overbill”, and bespeak the units of energy being refunded to affected customers.

The units would past beryllium netted disconnected the existent month’s estimated vigor depletion truthful that the customers lone person to wage the balance.

The regulator has besides published the database of affected customers connected its website.

EERC has ordered Mainpower Disco to marque the refund not aboriginal than the extremity of the July billing cycle. Photo credit: Nurphoto
Source: Getty Images

NERC transfers regulatory powers to authorities agencies

Between April and August 2024, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) transferred oversight of the energy marketplace successful antithetic states to the nonmigratory agencies of the respective states.

These states see Enugu State, wherever the Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) was empowered to instrumentality implicit regularisation successful the state.

Others see Ondo, Ekiti, Lagos, and Imo states.

NERC fines Abuja Disco N1.69 cardinal for overbilling

In related news, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has approved a good of N1.69bn against Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

Legit.ng reported that the fine was imposed because of AEDC's non-compliance with the bid to headdress estimated billings.

NERC said the money was deducted from AEDC’s yearly operating expenditure for the infraction.

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck retired quality that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” artifact connected the location leafage and enjoy!

Source: Legit.ng