The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has levied a hefty ₦200 million fine against the Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc (AEDC) for flouting electricity tariff regulations.
According to a statement released via NERC’s official handle on Friday, the commission took decisive action against AEDC after uncovering violations of tariff guidelines, sparking outrage among consumers and industry stakeholders.
NERC’s decision, informed by thorough scrutiny and customer feedback, revealed that AEDC had imposed the new tariff uniformly across all customer bands, contrary to the prescribed order aimed at ensuring fair billing practices.
Consequently, NERC has mandated AEDC to refund customers in Bands B, C, D, and E who were erroneously billed above the designated tariff bands outlined in the order.
The statement outlined specific directives for AEDC, including the reimbursement of affected customers and the payment of the ₦200 million fine for the blatant breach of regulatory orders.
“The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (“Commission”) has taken enforcement action against the Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc (“AEDC”) for non-compliance with the Supplementary Order to the April 2024 Multi-Year Tariff Order 2024 for AEDC (the “Order”). AEDC has been fined ₦200,000,000 (Two Hundred Million Naira) for failure to comply with the prescribed customer band classifications for the tariff billing.
This decision follows a detailed review and customer feedback, which revealed that AEDC had applied the new tariff to all customer bands, contrary to the Order, which was designed to ensure fair billing practices.
“AEDC is therefore mandated to: Reimburse all customers in Bands B, C, D, and E respectively that were billed above the allowed customer categories/tariff bands provided in the Order.
“Reimburse through the provision of the balance of customer tokens that the affected customers would be entitled to receive at the applicable rates and all token reimbursements shall be issued to the affected customers by 11 April 2024.
“Pay the sum of ₦200,000,000.00 (Two Hundred Million Naira) as a fine for the flagrant breach of the Commission’s Order.
“File evidence of compliance with the directives in a & c with the Commission by 12 April 2024.
“The action by the Commission underscores its commitment to protecting consumer rights and ensuring equitable practices within Nigeria’s electricity sector,” the statement fully reads.
