- Tunji Bello says electricity regulators must ensure that Nigerians enjoy same level of protection regardless of where they live
Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr. Tunji Bello, yesterday revealed that the commission successfully halted a planned replacement of obsolete prepaid electricity meters after concerns emerged that consumers could be compelled to pay for infrastructure failures that were not of their making.
Bello insisted that Nigerians should never bear the cost of replacing obsolete meters or be subjected to estimated billing during the process.
He made the disclosure at a stakeholder engagement on consumer protection and regulatory cooperation in Nigeria’s electricity sector, in Abuja.
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Bello said the commission stepped in after widespread public concerns over the planned replacement of obsolete Unistar prepaid meters used by customers of one of the electricity distribution companies.
According to him, the intervention, carried out in collaboration with Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), prevented consumers from being exposed to fresh financial burdens, estimated billing, and possible disruption of electricity supply during the replacement exercise.
He explained that while replacing obsolete meters was ordinarily a routine technical exercise, many electricity consumers feared they would be forced to pay for new meters, despite not being responsible for the equipment becoming obsolete.
He said consumers were also worried that delay in the replacement programme could expose them to estimated billing or interruptions in electricity supply.
Bello said, “Those concerns were understandable. At their core were issues of fairness, affordability, continuity of supply and public confidence in the institutions responsible for consumer protection.”
He said FCCPC immediately convened a meeting involving NERC, NEMSA, and all electricity distribution companies to ensure that the exercise complied with existing laws.