The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on Wednesday said it was not the responsibility of electricity consumers to buy transformers or any other assets for Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs Aisha Mahmud, Commissioner Consumers Affairs, NERC, said this in Abuja at the three-day NERC\/ Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) Customer Complaint Resolution Meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is not the responsibility of the consumers to buy meters, poles or any assets for the DisCos because we have already provided for that in the tariff of the utilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c But under any circumstances that you have to purchase these item and you cannot wait for the DisCos to make that investment, we have made provision for that under our \u201cInvestment Regulation, \u2018\u2019 she said<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mahmud said that the commission came up with a regulation called investment in the network and based on that, if a customer has to purchase a transformer, it has to be done through an agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said that the consumer has to sign an agreement with the DisCos stating when and how the consumer will be refunded the cost of that transformer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c The agreement should contain dispute resolution clause and all other items that are expected of a standard agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat we expect from the DisCo is to use their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to buy those assets or rather use shareholders\u2019 investment or borrow from the banks to purchase those assets<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c In the event that they are not able to buy those assets, customers can come in and they have to be refunded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo what the consumers don\u2019t know is that regulation exists and they go about making all sorts of investment which DisCos say is a donation to them because there is no agreement, \u2018\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The commissioner said that it was part of NERC\u2019s responsibility to also educate customers on their right and obligation and all they are supposed to know about the electricity market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said the commission realised that most consumers in Nigeria did not know about the existence of the regulator; they don\u2019t know their right, they have a lot of rights that they are not aware of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was our duty to tell them that it is their right to get a meter as Discos are not doing you any favour to issue you a meter,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mahmud said that NERC\u2019s mandate was also to educate the consumers on their responsibilities such as the issue of meter, bypass or tempering with meters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey should know that the Discos are just merely collection agents and the revenue they collect is not entirely their own as they have to pay gas suppliers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPay the Transmission Company (TCN) and the generation companies so customers should know that once they touch the utilities they are also sub charging themselves, \u2018\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On his part, Mr Yusuf Ali, Commissioner Planning Research and Strategy, (NERC) said that the forum was an opportunity for customers voice to be heard and their right upheld.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alli said that most times the complaints NERC got from customers was that when they complained to DisCos, the resolution took too long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c But with this forum, the expectation is that complaints will be resolved quickly, \u2018\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Managing Director of AEDC, Mr Adeoye Fadeyibi, said that AEDC was committed to meeting their customers demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Represented by Mrs Olajumoke Delonia. Head Regulatory and Government Relation AEDC, Fadeyibi said that the idea of the forum was to address customers\u2019 complaints and commended NERC for their initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c AEDC is prepared to look into the complaints of their customers and quickly, \u2018\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr Aigbokhalode Asmiafele, a customer, said that he was there to make a complaint about how AEDC was operating, especially in the area of irregular electricity and billing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is my hope that AEDC will look into the issues raised and address them, \u2018\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on Wednesday said it was not the responsibility of electricity consumers to buy transformers or any other assets for Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos). Mrs Aisha Mahmud, Commissioner Consumers Affairs, NERC, said this in Abuja at the three-day NERC\/ Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) Customer Complaint Resolution Meeting. \u201cIt is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21315,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1366,949],"tags":[534],"class_list":["post-47028","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-economy","tag-nerc","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"yoast_head":"\n