Estimated Billing: NERC Says IBEDC Filed Appeal Outside Allowed Period
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has made a defence hearing against a sanction contained in an order on non-compliance with estimated billing issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in February 2024.
NERC initially issued the order on capping of estimated billing in 2020 and reviews the compliance level periodically. The Distribution Companies (Discos) were penalised this year for their observed non-compliance with the order spanning January to September 2023.
According to NERC, the capping is aimed at aligning the estimated bills for unmetered customers with the measured consumption of metered customers on the same supply feeder.
As part of its sanction to the defaulters, the commission said the affected Discos would be charged N10.5 billion.
But at the defence meeting, the Vice Chairman of NERC and chairman of the hearing panel, Dr. Musiliu Oseni, stated in Abuja that NERC only decided to approve IBEDC’s request to hold the hearing.
Nevertheless, the appeal, NERC said, was filed beyond the 60 days allowed for the filing of an appeal against any regulatory judgement. He, however, mentioned that the combined NERC and IBEDC team will reach a resolution point soon.
The IBEDC Head of Billing, Mr. Ayoola Adio, indicated during the defence hearing held at the NERC office in Abuja that the distribution licensee frequently conforms with current requirements and that there was a discrepancy in the period for which the defaults were reported.
