Kaduna Electric says it is set to comply with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC) directive mandating it to refund overbilled customers.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Head of Corporate Communication, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, Kaduna Electric.
Kaduna Electric and other distribution companies in the country were sanctioned for noncompliance with NERC’s Capping Order, directing them to ensure unmetered customers are not billed beyond a certain threshold.
According to NERC, capping is aimed at aligning the estimated bills for unmetered customers with the measured consumption of metered customers on the same supply feeder. Abdullahi stated that all customers who were to benefit from the refund must be ready to settle all their outstanding debts or risk disconnection.
He added that the company was weighed down by a huge debt burden, which hampered its efforts at efficient service delivery to customers.
“The company said it now had zero tolerance for electricity debt accumulation by customers.
“The company which operates in Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states, has to confront the reality of the recent developments in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
“There distribution companies are required to ensure full remittance to the market for energy received and wheeled to it.”
He explained that one of the major constraints hampering the adequate supply of electricity had been the issue of illiquidity in the sector. He added that the bottleneck can only be overcome with full payments for energy consumed by customers.