The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has introduced stricter sanctions for meter tampering, unauthorized access, and bypass offenses, reflecting a significant shift in policies aimed at improving the country’s power supply system. According to the amended order released on February 17, 2025, electricity distribution companies (DisCos) now have the authority to disconnect customers who tamper with their meters without prior notice.
The new policy also increases fines for meter bypass offenses. The administrative charges for unauthorized meter access have been raised to N100,000 for Non-MD Single Phase meters and N200,000 for three-phase meters, marking a 100% increase from previous fines of N51,000 and N103,000. In addition, offenders will now be charged N10,000 and N50,000 for reconnection costs, depending on the type of meter.
The order, which replaces the previous one (NERC/REG/41/2017), is aligned with the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023 and the Customer Protection Regulations (CPR) 2023. These amendments now allow DisCos to disconnect unauthorized connections without notice, aiming to reduce illegal access to electricity and meter tampering. Furthermore, the new regulations introduce clearer guidelines for reconnection, designed to ensure compliance and fair enforcement.
As of July 2024, there were over 7.2 million unmetered electricity customers compared to approximately 6 million metered customers out of a total of 13.3 million, highlighting the scale of meter-related issues in Nigeria’s electricity sector.