Latest report by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has revealed that the Eko and Ikeja electricity companies received the highest complaints from electricity consumers in the country in 2024 third quarter.
And the complaints were more of billing problems followed by metering issues, tariff band concerns, and service interruptions. Other common issues included disconnections and various operational delays, such as voltage interruptions and non-compliance. NERC revealed that Ikeja and Eko Discos got2,401 and 1,073, complaints respectively, while Aba Power received the lowest, 10 complaints.
The commission stressed the need for faster complaint resolution which it is working on. According to the report, the number of customer complaints across Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies (Discos) was 328,696 in Q3 of 2024, a 14.35 per cent increase compared to the previous quarter.
It also revealed that power distributors refunded over N207.4 million to customers in credit adjustments due to issues like over-billing. In the quarter under review, NERC’s Customer Complaint Units (CCUs) handled 5,287 complaints directly, resolving 1,647, reflecting a 31.15 per cent resolution rate. This, it said, represents an improvement from the previous quarter, where the resolution rate stood at 22.38 per cent.
A breakdown of complaints to NERC’s CCUs shows that 34.37 per cent were related to billing, 29.98 per cent to metering, 13.60 per cent to tariff band issues, and 12.24 per cent to service interruptions, which together accounted for 90.18 per cent of all complaints during the quarter.
Notably, customer complaints saw significant increases in areas such as Benin, Kano, and Yola, while Enugu experienced a slight decrease in the number of complaints.
In addition, NERC’s Forum Offices received 3,202 active appeals during the quarter, with 1,035 of these pending from the previous quarter and 2,167 new appeals.
To address the rising complaints, NERC said it has partnered with organisations like the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to streamline the resolution process and improve customer satisfaction.
