The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has revealed that 691,639 electricity customers in the South-East are unmetered by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), with only 704,801 metered customers out of its total customer base of 1,369,440 in the South-East region.

Chinedu Anyigor, senior manager, NERC, made the revelation at a three-day town hall/ Complaint Resolution Forum for customers of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) on Thursday in Awka.

“As of June 2025, in the South East region, where EEDC distributes electricity, 704,801 out of a total of 1,369,440 customers are metered, while 691,639 remain unmetered.

“We encourage residents who are not comfortable with estimated billing to key into the metering programme,” he said.

Mr Anyigor identified metering as one of the major complaints and issues in the electricity industry.

He said that both customers and distribution companies were affected by metering issues, as some customers use electricity without paying, leading to revenue losses for the distribution companies.

According to him, the federal government approved the national mass metering programme to ensure a balance.

The manager noted that many customers were also unaware of their rights and obligations.

“Customers have rights to safe, reliable electricity service as well as active electricity metres,” he said.

Also speaking, Aisha Mahmud, commissioner for stakeholder management at NERC, emphasised the importance of hearing directly from the people about issues affecting their electricity consumption.

Mr Mahmud, represented by Babatunde Zubairu, head of consumer protection, said that NERC served as a mediator between customers and the electricity distribution companies, including EEDC.

“We have been going around states to engage customers and distribution companies to ensure they are aware of their rights and obligations in line with stipulated laws.

“We want to hear from you about everything that affects electricity consumption in Anambra and the issues you are having with EEDC.

“We will ensure that solutions are provided before we leave Anambra,” she said.

Ms Mahmud said it was not the responsibility of customers to pay for the maintenance or replacement of faulty electrical appliances such as cables, poles and transformers.

She urged residents to report such activities to the commission for prompt action.

The commissioner also urged EEDC to engage their customers regularly and keep them abreast of information and development in the electricity industry.

The managing director of EEDC, Vincent Ekwekwu, acknowledged the various challenges facing the company and affirmed its commitment to addressing them.

Mr Ekwekwu, who was represented by the chief information officer, EEDC, Idika Okechukwu, emphasised the importance of collaboration to enhance the quality of service delivery to customers across the region.

“We are here to understand the concerns of our customers; resolve existing issues; and improve on areas where we have not been doing well.

“Our billing, metering, reconciliation, complaint resolution, and operational teams are fully on ground to provide support,” he said.

In his remarks, Aliyu Tukur, managing director, Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) and chief electrical inspector of the federation, emphasised the importance of certifying electrical installations.

Mr Tukur, who was represented by area inspecting engineer, Osita Obiukwu, urged consumers to ensure their buildings were properly earthed and meters tested and certified by qualified personnel before installation.

(NAN)