NERC mandates DisCos to refund ₦20.33 billion owed to customers for meter costs

This directive is outlined in Order No: NERC/2026/025, which revises an earlier 2023 directive. The order was signed on February 27, 2026, by NERC Chairman Musiliu Oseni and Commissioner for Legal, Licensing & Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye.

Under the updated order, DisCos are required to reimburse the affected customers fully within a 12-month period starting March 1, 2026. The refunds pertain to meters acquired through the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) framework, in which customers initially bore the cost of purchasing meters with the expectation of reimbursement via energy credits.

NERC highlighted that despite previous arrangements; reimbursement processes were slow, leaving an outstanding ₦20.33 billion unpaid as of December 31, 2025. The new order aims to resolve these delays, improve customer communications, and build greater trust in the electricity sector.

To streamline the process, all refunds are to be automated directly into customer accounts. Prepaid customers will receive monthly tokens corresponding to their reimbursement by the 4th day of each month.

Postpaid customers will see the reimbursement as a separate credit line on their monthly bills.

Importantly, NERC emphasized that meter reimbursement credits must not be used to offset any pre-existing customer debts. The commission reiterated that DisCos had failed to meet compliance requirements as of December 31, 2025, which warranted this stricter enforcement.

NERC further instructed that, upon meter activation, the full cost of a MAP meter must be credited to the customer’s account and reimbursed automatically as monthly allocations over the stipulated period.

The order also outlined additional measures to ensure transparency and compliance. DisCos are required to provide monthly reports detailing the monetary value reimbursed to customers via energy credits in a format approved by the commission.

Additionally, a dedicated email address must be set up by DisCos for customers to lodge complaints regarding unprocessed reimbursements. These complaints and their resolution status should then be included in the monthly compliance reports submitted to NERC.

To recover the unpaid ₦20.33 billion as of December 31, 2025, DisCos are expected to hasten reimbursements to affected customers starting on March 1, 2026. This process is intended to restore confidence in the sector and ensure more efficient handling of customer-related obligations moving forward.