The Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) received 222,639 complaints from consumers in quarter 4 of 2021.

This is contained in the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Fourth Quarter Report 2021, released late Thursday.

The report said that the 222,639 complaints represented 9.91 per cent less of the 24,479 of those received in Q3, 2021. NERC said the DisCos resolved 212,382 complaints corresponding to a 95.39 per cent resolution rate.

“Metering, billing, and service interruption were the prevalent sources of customer complaints, accounting for 58.83 per cent of the total complaints during the quarter,” the report explained. “The commission is introducing initiatives to address this category of complaints such as the independent verification of DisCos compliance with the capping regulation that protects unmetered customers from overbilling.”

The report also mentioned that forum panels reviewed unresolved disputes at DisCos Complaint Handling Units (DisCos-CCU), as enshrined in the commission’s Customer Complaints Handling Standards and Procedure (CCHSP) Regulations.

It further explained that in Q4, the NERC forum offices had 2,359 active complaints, including the pending complaints from Q3 2021 and 774 complaints from customers dissatisfied with DisCos’ decision on their lodged complaints.

“During the period, the forum panels held 72 Hearings and resolved 1,636, which are 69.35 per cent of the complaints lodged at forum offices nationwide. This means 723 complaints are yet to be resolved,” added the commission.

NERC pointed out that “to ensure a more efficient customer complaint resolution process, the commission continues to push for an improvement in the quality of complaint resolution at the CCU of the DisCos.”

“This includes the establishment of additional forum offices as well as the creation of alternative complaint resolution channels,” it added. 

(NAN)