The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has fined Benin and Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) over their failure to comply with the decisions of Forum Offices over complaints filed by their respective customers.
The two Dicos have been ordered to pay N6.220million as penalty.
The Commission imposed a N5.010million sanction on Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) for not complying with the decision of the Forum in complaints filed by three of its customers on estimated billings.
The NERC Forum Office set up in over 16 states is made up of five members of the public and handles complaints that are unresolved at the units of DisCos.
“The Commission hereby fines BEDC N10,000 per day from April 14, 2016 to September 28, 2016 making a total (N1.670million) in each of the three instances bringing the fines to N5.010million,” said a statement by NERC spokesman, Usman Abba Arabi.
Benin DisCo is directed to comply with the Forum decisions and was given two weeks from September 28, 2016 to pay the fine, failure which attracts five per cent interest daily.
Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), the statement said, was sanctioned over its failure to comply with the Forum Office decision in a complaint from a customer over metering in May.
The DisCo is to pay a N10,000 daily fine from May 30 to September 28 amounting to N1,190,000.
About three weeks ago, Acting Chairman of NERC, Dr Anthony Aka, warned Discos to desist from collecting illegal fees from consumers to purchase transformer for installations or repairs in various localities.
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