The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has imposed a fine of N1.69 billion on the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) for overbilling customers.
The penalty, outlined in the regulatory document “Order NERC/2024/114,” was issued in NERC’s September 2024 Supplementary Order and dated August 30, 2024.
The fine was imposed after investigations revealed that AEDC had not complied with NERC’s guidelines on capping estimated billing for electricity consumers. According to NERC, AEDC overcharged customers between January and September 2023, leading to a penalty equivalent to 10% of the overbilled amount.
Additionally, NERC has approved the deduction of N1.69 billion from AEDC’s annual operating expenditure effective September 2024 as a consequence of non-compliance. The commission also issued directives to improve service delivery and ensure AEDC adheres to its service-based tariff commitments. These directives include procuring at least 61MW of embedded generation capacity, with a minimum of 30MW from renewable energy, by April 2025.
NERC emphasized that these measures are necessary to meet AEDC’s service delivery commitments and protect consumers from unfair billing practices.
