The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has fined the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) N200 million for failure to comply with the prescribed customer band classifications for the tariff billing.

A statement by the NERC management in Abuja on Friday said AEDC was fined for non-compliance with the supplementary order to the April Multi-Year Tariff Order 2024 for the company.

The NERC said AEDC will pay the N200 million as a fine for the flagrant breach of the commission’s order.

According to the NERC, the decision follows a detailed review and customer feedback, revealing that AEDC had applied the new tariff to all customer bands, contrary to the order designed to ensure fair billing practices.

”AEDC is therefore mandated to reimburse all customers in Bands B, C, D and E, respectively, that were billed above the allowed customer categories/tariff bands provided in the order.

”Reimburse through the provision of the balance of customer tokens that the affected customers would be entitled to receive at the applicable rates.

”And all token reimbursements shall be issued to the affected customers by April 11, 2024,” the commission said.

The commission also directed the AEDC to file evidence of compliance with the directives in a and c with the commission by April 12.

The NERC management said its action underscores its commitment to protecting consumer rights and ensuring equitable practices within Nigeria’s electricity sector.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, AEDC apologised for the wrong charges faced by some Band A customers who tried to recharge their meters following the new tariff regime.

(NAN)