DisCos fail to bill ₦76bn electricity in May
Electricity distribution companies failed to bill customers for ₦76.08 billion worth of electricity supplied in May, as billing efficiency dropped to 76.87%.
Electricity distribution companies (DisCos) failed to bill customers for ₦76.08 billion worth of electricity supplied in May, as billing efficiency dropped to 76.87% from 83.32% in April. The 11 DisCos received electricity valued at ₦328.95 billion but only billed customers ₦252.87 billion, reflecting that over 30% of revenue was not captured. Revenue collection also fell, with DisCos collecting ₦208.15 billion compared with ₦302.96 billion in April.
Ikeja Electric recorded the highest collection efficiency at 94.63%, followed by Eko DisCo at 91.54% and Abuja DisCo at 84.84%. In a separate report, NERC said DisCos deployed 227,559 meters in March and April, with 111,654 customers metered in April. The latest figures underscore the persistent commercial challenges facing the distribution segment, where a significant portion of energy supplied is either not billed or not fully recovered.
In June, the federal government unveiled plans to deploy seven million electricity meters across the country through a presidential metering initiative and a World Bank-backed programme. Olu Verheijen, special adviser to the President on Energy, said the metering programme is expected to strengthen transparency in electricity billing and improve collections.
The winners: Ikeja Electric, Eko DisCo and Abuja DisCo, which recorded the highest collection efficiency. The losers: DisCos that failed to bill customers; and Nigerian consumers, who face estimated billing.
Bottom Line: Over ₦76 billion in electricity went unbilled in May. Metering remains a critical challenge.