Electricity tariff in Nigeria: See step by step guide to follow to resolve electricity overbilling problem

For long, electricity overbilling issue for Nigeria don become problem to many Nigerians.

Many don complain of how Electricity Distribution Companies alias Discos dey over charge dem for "light wey dem no use".

Dis complaints lead to protests by electricity consumers for Rivers State on Wednesday as dem waka go di office of Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC come ask dem to pack comot for di state, sake of estimated billing and over billing.

But how pesin wey get dis same issue fit resolve am according to wetin di Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission advise?

How to make complaints as e concern overbilling and oda palava for electricity supply

Head of Corporate affairs NERC Michael Faloseyi explain give BBC Pidgin say dem get customer complaints, standards and procedures wey pipo wey get issues with dia Discos suppose follow and dis one dey ground since 2006 and e give about six conditions and ways wey customers fit take lodge complain.

"Di first step na for di customer to go lodge complain for di customer complaints unit of di Disco office and we expect say within 15 working days, di Disco go don attend to dat complain but if dem no fit resolve di complain within dat 15 working days, dem suppose carry di customer along and explain to am di challenge wey dem dey get to make di customer dey comfortable.

"If dem no fit solve di complain for dat level, we get di forum office."

Section 4 of di Customer complaints and external regulation state say e get five members of di public wey go sidon chook eye for di complain.

Dis pipo include Manufacturers Association of Nigeria MAN, NACCIMA, pipo wey go represent di customer maybe one NGO or Customer advocacy group; five pipo wey no come from di Commission. Dis group of five pipo dey all over di kontri wit one staff from di Commission wey go serve as secretary to take minutes of di meeting

"If dem no fit solve di complain den you fit write petition to di NERC and we don get cases wey di Commission don interfere to make sure di customer dey satisfied." Im tok.

Wetin be di rights of electricity consumers?

According to di Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005, di Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC get power to manage and ensure ogbonge electricity supply so Nigerians go get stable, adequate and adequate electricity supply.

For quality service delivery NERC don list some rights wey customers get and dem be say:

- All new electricity connection must dey on metering before connection. So no new customer supposed dey connected by di Distribution Company (DisCo) without installing meter first for di premises.

- All customers get right to electricity supply im a safe and reliable manner

- All customers get right to properly installed meter wey dey function well

- All customers get right to dey properly informed and educated on di electricity services

- All customers get right to transparent electricity billing, no magomago

- All un-metered customers suppose get electricity bills based strictly on NERC estimated billing methodology

- Na di customer right to dey notified in writing before any disconnection of electricity service by di DisCo wey dey serve di customer.

- Customer get right to get refund when dwm overbill dem.

- Customers get right to file complaints and to quick investigations of complaints

- Dem go send all complaints on electricity supply and oda billing issues to di nearest business nuiy of di DisCo weu dey serve do customer

- If di compliant no dey satisfactorily addressed, di customer get right to escalate di issue to NERC Forum office wey dey di coverage area of di DisCo. - Customers get right to appeal di decisions of di NERC Forum office by writing to di Commission

- Customers get right to contest any electricity bill

- Any un-metered customer wey dey dispute im estimated bill get right not to pay di disputed bill but to pay only di last bill dem no dispute as di bill dem dey contest go go through do dispute resolution process of NERC

- No be di responsibility of di electricity customer or community to replace or repair electricity transformers, poles and oda raged equipment wey dey used in di supply of electricity.