Nigerians will begin to heave a sigh of relief as the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), has vowed to enforce strict adherence to regulatory guidelines, ensuring that consumers are neither unfairly charged nor randomly subjected to estimated billing by electricity distribution companies (DisCos).
The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, FCCPC Mr. Tunji Bello, at the urgent stakeholders meeting on electric meter issues held Tuesday in Abuja, expressed concern on the recent announcement by an electricity distribution company concerning the phase-out of the unistar prepaid meter model with effect from November 14th, 2024 poses yet another challenge for consumers, who may face undue hardship if this transition is mishandled.
Mr. Bello said the announcement was devoid of information on whether consumers will be required to cover the cost of replacing meters.
He said the possibility of consumers being placed on arbitrary estimated billing during this transition is also a concern, as it would violate existing rules.
He said electricity should be reliable, accessible, and affordable. Unfortunately, the Nigerian electricity sector has long grappled with a range of consumer issues.
“From our analysis of consumer complaints, it is clear that electricity consumers routinely endure problems related to billing, metering, transformers, connections, disconnections, and customer service, among others.
“Regrettably, many of these challenges, from billing inaccuracies to inadequate customer care, are human-made. They stem from systemic inefficiencies and a troubling culture of impunity among certain service providers.
“For the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), it is troubling to witness consumers being exposed to additional hardship, with minimal information provided by the DisCo regarding this transition.
In a turn of events, Unistar Hi-Tech Meters clarified that their prepaid meters, which utilise Card Meter Technology, are upgradable and fully compatible with the Standard Transfer Specification (STS) Meter Technology currently used in distribution networks.