Capping order: Kaduna Electric completes credit adjustment to 49,000 overbilled customers

Kaduna Electric says it has completed credit adjustment to 49,000 overbilled customers under the estimated billing system from January to September 2023.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in February 2024 noted that the eleven electricity distribution companies (DisCos) billed unmetered customers over N105 billion from January to September 2023.

BusinessDay findings revealed that Yola DisCos, Port Harcourt DisCos, Kaduna DisCos, Abuja DisCos, Eko DisCos and Jos DisCos overbilled unmetered customers a total of N541.8 million, N14.187 billion, N1.145 billion N17.874 billion, N13.137 billion and N13.3 billion respectively.

Read also:NERC to deduct N10.5bn from DisCos over estimated bills

However, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, head of Corporate Communication, at Kaduna Electric in a statement issued to BusinessDay said that affected customers will notice a credit adjustment for the cumulative overbilled amount for the period of January to September 2023 on their February 2024 bills.

“In compliance with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s Order on Non-compliance with Capping of Estimated Bills to unmetered customers for the period of January to September 2023, Kaduna Electric has completed credit adjustment to all affected customers as provided in NERC’s assessment report.

“The affected customers will notice a credit adjustment for the cumulative overbilled amount for the period of January to September 2023 on their February 2024 bills which is being delivered as of now.

“The full list of over 49,000 customers has been uploaded on the company’s website, www.kadunaelectric.com, and published in two national newspapers in compliance with the order.
NERC’s Capping Order directing distribution companies to ensure unmetered customers are not billed beyond a certain threshold,” the statement read.

Read also:NERC to revoke licenses of non-performing DisCos

Abdullahi said that the company is ready to comply with all regulations and orders as directed by the regulator.

He, however, said it is incumbent on customers to also endeavour to settle their debts for electricity consumed. Not doing so, he said, jeopardises the efforts at resuscitating Kaduna Electric.

He reiterated that prompt payment of bills and zero tolerance for all forms of energy theft are paramount in ensuring the power sector functions effectively.

NERC in 2020 had issued the Order on capping of estimated bills (Order No: NERC/197/2020) and subsequently issued monthly energy caps which aimed to align the estimated bills for unmetered customers with the measured consumption of metered customers on the same supply feeder.