FG Orders Discos to Publish Details of Meter Refunds
The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has directed all electricity distribution companies (Discos) to publish details of refunds made to customers who purchased meters under the Meter Asset Providers (MAP) scheme. The directive, announced on NERC’s social media handles on Monday, aims to enhance transparency and encourage customer participation in the metering initiative.
The MAP framework, introduced to bridge the metering gap in Nigeria, allows third-party investors to provide and maintain meters as a service. Customers who opt for upfront payments for meters are entitled to refunds through energy credits, as stipulated by NERC regulations.
According to NERC, “Where a customer elects to make upfront payments for meters under these regulations, the cost of the meter shall be refunded through energy credits by the distribution licensee. The reimbursement schedule shall be as approved by the commission, having regard to an evaluation of the financial standing of the distribution licensee.”
However, consumer groups have raised concerns over the inconsistent refund practices of Discos, prompting the regulator to intervene. In a bid to address these complaints and foster trust, NERC has mandated Discos to publicly disclose refund details on their websites.
“NERC has directed Discos to publish details of MAP refunds on their websites for transparency. This will demonstrate commitment and consistency to the scheme and encourage customers,” the commission stated.
The directive comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to close the metering gap, which currently stands at over seven million unmetered customers. Recently, Olu Verheijen, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Energy, highlighted the government’s commitment to metering all customers to reduce losses in the sector.
“The government is intervening in the short term by making sure that the registered customers within the Disco have meters because no matter what your tariff is, you need to make sure that you can collect and reduce your collection losses. And so, that’s one of the interventions. You’ve heard about the Presidential Metering Initiative, which looks to consolidate all the different metering initiatives that are funded by different entities,” Verheijen stated.
She added that the initiative aims to improve revenue collection and enhance the financial capacity of Discos to drive investments in reliability and green energy access.
Meanwhile, NERC held its first Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) Stakeholders meeting of 2025 at its headquarters in Abuja. The meeting focused on critical issues affecting the sector, including tariff methodology, NESI liquidity, financial evaluation of the market, and the transition to a multi-tier electricity market.
“The quarterly meeting brings together energy stakeholders to discuss the state of the NESI and address critical issues in the sector,” the commission said.
The Federal Government’s latest directive underscores its commitment to improving transparency and accountability in the electricity sector while addressing the longstanding challenges of metering and revenue collection.
