FCCPC warns Ikeja, Eko DisCos to halt meter replacement amid compliance concerns

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has issued a stern warning to Ikeja and Eko electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to immediately cease plans to replace some meters.

In a Wednesday statement by its Director, Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, the consumer protection body emphasised that any breach of its directive would lead to severe penalties.

Last month, the commission stepped in to address the growing concerns surrounding the planned phaseout of Unistar prepaid meters by the DisCos. It urged the DisCos to absorb the cost of replacing the obsolete meters without passing on additional charges to consumers.

In its Wednesday statement, the FCCPC addressed rumours suggesting that DisCos might defy its order, originally issued to prevent any unauthorised meter replacements that could negatively impact consumers.

The FCCPC reaffirmed that its mandate remains in effect, noting that recent approvals for new meter prices from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) bear no relation to the Unistar replacement plans.

It said both regulatory bodies, FCCPC and NERC, have invalidated the replacement programme, and no indication of non-compliance has emerged from the DisCos thus far.

Ikeja and Eko DisCos are permitted to replace meters only by NERC’s Order on Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete End-user Customer Meters (Order No. NERC/246/2021).

The guidelines stipulate that meter replacements must proceed without service disruption, at no additional cost to customers, and with assurances against estimated billing during the replacement period.

“It is essential to clarify that Ikeja and Eko DisCos cannot proceed with the withdrawal or replacement of the Unistar meters unless they fully comply with NERC’s Order on Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete End-user Customer Meters in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (Order No. NERC/246/2021).

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“The order mandates that meter replacements must be prompt, without disrupting service and at no cost to the consumer; and ensuring that consumers are not subjected to estimated billing due to delayed installations.

“The FCCPC’s position remains clear: non-compliance with these directives by Ikeja and Eko DisCos will not be tolerated. Any breach of this directive will attract stiff penalties in line with the provisions of existing consumer protection laws,” it said.

The FCCPC urged consumers to report any attempts by the DisCos to contravene this directive via its dedicated electricity consumer hotline, reinforcing the Commission’s commitment to protecting consumers from unfair practices.