Commission sanctions electricity distributor over outrageous bills

06:54 17/06/2015
Abuja - The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on Tuesday ordered Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to make refunds to all customers given over-estimated bills.
This is contained in a statement issued by the commission's Head of Public Affairs, Dr. Usman Arabi in Abuja.

"Following conclusion of investigations of misdemeanor leveled against it, the commission has ordered AEDC to refund the affected customers through energy credit of all excess charges those customers were billed", it said.

The statement explained that the action followed an earlier Notice of Enforcement and subsequent investigation of instances of overbilling perpetrated by the company.

"AEDC shall with immediate effect from the date of this Order, commence refund through energy credit of all excess charges billed its customers.

"The commission further orders AEDC to within five days notify the affected customers of the overbilling in writing.

"This is in line with Regulation 9 (7) of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission's Meter Reading, Billing, Cash Collections and Credit Management for Electricity Suppliers Regulation 2007," it said.
It also ordered the company to publish an apology to affected customers in a newspaper with wide circulation within its franchise area.

The statement also ordered the company to state their business units and the amount of excess charges billed them during the period under review.

It said the company was expected to report back within two months beginning from June 15, to the commission, its compliance with the sanctions meted on it.

According to the statement, the company tripled its customers' bills issued in September 2014 and issued it as bills for October 2014, without evidence of a commensurate increase in electricity supply within the same period.

The commission, on Thursday April 16, 2015, issued Notice of Enforcement Action on AEDC over manifest and flagrant breaches' of approved methodology for estimated billing of electricity consumers.

- NAN