Lagos, Nigeria – The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has issued a stern warning to Ikeja and Eko electricity distribution companies (IKEDC and EKEDC) regarding their planned replacement of Unistar meters.
The commission cautioned that any attempt to proceed in defiance of FCCPC’s order will attract severe penalties, underscoring its commitment to protecting consumer rights against unauthorised actions by service providers.
The directive to halt all activities related to the Unistar meter replacement comes amid rumours suggesting that the electricity distribution companies may disregard FCCPC’s mandate.
The commission emphasised that the directive remains in full effect, and any attempt by the DisCos to act contrary to this order would be considered a serious breach of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA), 2018.
In its statement, FCCPC clarified that the recent approval of new meter prices by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has no connection with the proposed Unistar meter replacement by IKEDC and EKEDC.
FCCPC reiterated that the planned replacement had been invalidated by both FCCPC and NERC and as of now, there is no indication that the DisCos have violated this directive. Any decision to replace meters must comply fully with NERC’s Order on Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete End-user Customer Meters, issued as Order No. NERC/246/2021.
The commission highlighted that under this order, any meter replacement must occur promptly, with minimal disruption to service, and at no additional cost to the consumer. The order also mandates that customers must not be subjected to estimated billing due to delays in meter installation.
“Consumers should be assured that the FCCPC is committed to ensuring strict adherence to these regulations,” the statement read. “Non-compliance by Ikeja and Eko DisCos will be met with penalties as prescribed under existing consumer protection laws.”
The FCCPC urged consumers who encounter attempts by Ikeja or Eko DisCos to defy the directive to report such incidents immediately via the commission’s dedicated electricity complaint line at 08119877785.
