For
several years, almost since independence, Nigerians have being living with
erratic and never stable power supply. There are parts in our nation where for
several months going to a year, there is no power supply. I live in a place
where the use of generators has become a norm. Virtually everyone living in
Nigeria generates his own power. If you don’t have a generating set, you could
find yourself living in the harshest conditions of life.
To
encumber the problem of almost endemic power failure, no Nigerian is exempted
from crazy bills and regular increase in tariffs. When you complain to the Power
officials, they either do nothing or respond to you as though you have no
choice but to pay what is given to you as your bill. Everyone, at one point or
the other has being made to pay “crazy bills” for power they never saw or
consumed. This regime of oppression and outright disregard for the rights of
the consumer has run for several years in Nigeria. One tends to wonder, “Where
are we really headed to in this Nation?” “Do we really have rights?” “What are
those rights?” “Who upholds our rights?”
Many
Nigerians do not know that they have certain rights as electricity consumers in
the nation.
The
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the body empowered to meet
the yearnings of Nigerians for stable, adequate and safe electricity supply,
has taken the bull by the horn by releasing to the public, the rights of every
electricity consumer.
Read
the rights below:
1.
All new electricity connections must be done strictly on the basis of metering
before connection. That is, no new customer should be connected without
meter first being installed.
2.
A customer who elects to procure meter under the Credited Advance Payment for
Metering Implementation (CAPMI) Scheme must be metered within 60 days, after
which the customer will neither be billed nor disconnected by the electricity
distribution company.
3.
It is the customer’s right to transparent electricity billing. Unmetered
customers should be issued with electricity bills strictly based on NERC’s
estimated billing methodology.
4.
It is the customer’s right to be notified in writing ahead of disconnection of
electricity service by the electricity distribution company serving the
customer in line with NERC’s guidelines.
5.
It is the customer’s right to prompt investigation of complaints arising from
the customer’s electricity service disruption
6.
It is not the responsibility of electricity customer or community to buy,
replace or repair electricity transformers, poles and related equipment used in
supply of electricity.
7.
It is the customer’s right to contest any electricity bill. Any unmetered
customer who is disputing his or her estimated bill has the right not to pay
the disputed bill, but pay only the last undisputed bill as the contested bill
go through the dispute resolution process of NERC.
8.
All complaints on your electricity supply and other billing issues are to be
sent to your nearest business unit of the electricity company serving your premises.
If your complaint is not satisfactorily addressed, you can forward your
complaint to the NERC Forum Office within the coverage area of your electricity
distribution company. Customers also have the right to appeal the decision of
the forum at the NERC headquarters in Abuja.
Log
into: www.nercng.org for
more details or contact:
NERC ZONAL OFFICE CONTACTS:
08164201445
Joseph John southwest;
08130363581
Tony Ray Ene South South;
08062219714
Ekeh Samuel Chukwuemeka Southeast;
07061117416
Hassan GWANDU north west;
07061097132
Mohammed Umar fufore North East;
07036948408
Friday Sule North Central.
Please
share this information and help us protect your rights. However,note that you
have an obligation to pay your valid electric bills, avoid meter by-pass or
stealing of electricity and protect power infrastructure from being vandalized.
Together,
by doing our part, we can get the power sector we all desired.
Dr.Anthony
Akah,mni
Ag.
CEO/Chairman,NERC
SPONSORED BY:
Bookmia Online Books
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