Executive vice chairman of the Commission, Babatunde Irukera, stated this at the Electricity Consumer Complaint Resolution Platform organised by FCCPC yesterday, in Nasarawa state.
Represented by the executive commissioner, Operations of the Commission, Adamu Abdullahi, the FCCPC boss said that non-compliance of DisCos with the regulations of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is a bane in the industry.
Irukera said that non-adherence to NERC’s standards of performance, orders and codes by DisCos was also a problem in the sector.
The FCCPC boss noted that electricity related issues ranging from poor service delivery in the industry was the highest category of consumer complaints received by the Commission.
He listed some of the complaints to include delay in opening new accounts for metering if customers, over-billing, metering, transformer issues, connection, illegal and mass disconnections and poor customer service, among others.
Irukera urged DisCos to show more commitment to compliance with NERC’s regulations.
”The FCCPC has been working with NERC, Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) and other stakeholders to resolve salient consumer issues in the industry.
”The council on its part has resolved to henceforth punish offenders who fail to comply with extant rules and regulations in the electricity industry,” he said.
The programme, according to Irukera, was aimed at providing an opportunity for consumers and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to resolve outstanding and emerging electricity complaints under the supervision of regulators.
The Assistant General Manager, Consumer Education of NERC, Zubair Babatunde, said that buying transformers was not the responsibility of electricity consumers, assuring the issues around the purchase of transformers and other electricity equipment by customers would be resolved before the end of the programme.
”I have heard people complaining about the issue of meters.
”NERC is working on that even the Federal Government to give people meters.
”All issues around metering, over-billing will be resolved before we leave here,” he assured.
The Assistant General Manager, Technical Inspectorate Services of NEMSA, Mr Usman Momoh said that technical safety was key in the electricity industry.
He commended FCCPC for the programme saying it was an opportunity to interact with electricity consumers on a one-on-one basis.
He said that sometimes, fast reading of meters could be as a result of poor wiring of the building where the meters were installed.
Momoh advised electricity consumers to avoid meters without NEMSA seal or logo adding that those were not certified by the agency.
”Where you have sagged conductors or electricity lines over your roof top, sub-stations or transformers open and children can walk in, electricity poles that are about to collapse, please report to us so that actions can be taken.
”Before meters are being deployed to consumers, they must be tested and certified okay for use by NEMSA and we will put our seal or logo on the meters.
”When we do this test, it means that the energy will be covered according to what you have used.
”If your meter does not have the NEMSA seal or logo, you need to flag it off. Either you are cheating yourself or the DisCo which installed it is loosing,” he said.
Some of the consumers who spoke at the event complained about over-billing, non-installation of meters, negligence of AEDC staff to their complaints.
NAN reports that the event had been scheduled to hold between July 6 and July 9.