Know Your Rights as an Electricity Consumer in Nigeria

Cheating of electricity consumers in Nigeria dates to as far back as the inglorious days of NEPA. Those were the days when “the fear of NEPA was the beginning of wisdom” while for some NEPA units, “the fear of some neighbourhoods was the beginning of wisdom”. Power consumers were indiscriminately given “crazy bills”. 

When they failed to pay or try to complain, they simply have to await the hour when NEPA officials will zoom into their neighbourhood brandishing ladders and carrying stacks of paper. Then suddenly, negotiations or fight begins. It is either the officials are bitten up and chased or they will collect as much bribe as possible from debtors who do not want to be disconnected. 

These visits normally take place during working hours when in the case of neighbourhoods of working class people they are disconnected if they fail to paste their proof of bill payment on their gates or doors. For neighbourhoods with a large stay-at home population such as ghettos, fights and scuffles can ensue. While in other cases, after the day time disconnection, electricians some of them NEPA officials are engaged to illegally reconnect disconnected consumers. 

Today, the sector is no longer in the hands of government alone. Private companies have come in and new rules have been set. The days of consumer harassment and exploitation have been put in check by new rules made by NERC (the Regulator) but many consumers do not know. We will highlight your rights as an electricity consumer in Nigeria in our next post. Do not sleep on your rights.