The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued a major directive ordering all Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to refund a total of ₦20.33 billion to customers who paid for their meters under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) framework.
The regulatory body mandated that the full disbursement of these outstanding reimbursements must be completed within a 12-month window, effective from March 1, 2026.
The MAP Reimbursement Mechanism
Under the MAP scheme, electricity consumers are permitted to pay upfront for the procurement and installation of meters to avoid estimated billing. According to NERC regulations, these costs are meant to be refunded by the DisCos through energy credits (units) over time.
However, NERC observed that the pace of these refunds has been unacceptably slow, leaving billions of naira in consumer credit trapped with the power distributors.
Order No: NERC/2026/025, which amends the previous 2023 order on the reimbursement of meter costs, was signed by the NERC Chairman, Musiliu Oseni, and the Commissioner, Legal, Licensing & Compliance at NERC, Dafe Akpeneye, on February 27, 2026.
NERC stated that, as of December 31, 2025, DisCos had failed to reimburse customers for meters procured under the MAP framework, leaving an outstanding N20.33bn.
“In February 2026, the commission reviewed the level of compliance of DisCos with the expected reimbursement to customers who have paid for meters under the MAP framework.
The review highlighted that DisCos have an outstanding amount of N20.33bn to reimburse customers for meters procured under the MAP framework as at 31 December 2025,” the order stated.
The commission explained that the order is intended to prevent repeated delays in reimbursements, optimise customer notification, and strengthen sector credibility and confidence.
In the new order, the commission stated that all reimbursements to customers for meters procured under the MAP framework shall be fully automated on customer accounts, saying,
“DisCos shall ensure that the total cost of a MAP meter is recognised as credit on the customer’s account upon activation of the meter and disbursed automatically as monthly credits over the approved amortisation period.”
DisCos were also instructed that meter reimbursement credits cannot be offset against customer legacy debt.
“DisCos shall not offset meter reimbursement credits against customer legacy debts; the items must be treated separately,” the order stated.
For prepaid customers, DisCos must automatically generate monthly tokens representing the reimbursement, while for postpaid customers, the reimbursement must appear as a distinct credit on their bills.
NERC said,
“For customers with prepaid meters, no later than the 4th day of every month, the DisCo’s billing system will automatically generate a token with an energy value equivalent to the monthly reimbursement which the customer is due to receive over the 120-month amortisation period based on the prevailing tariff for the customer.
“For post-paid customers, the monthly reimbursement of the cost of a MAP meter shall appear as a distinct credit line item which is expected to be subtracted from the customer’s total payable for the month.”
To recover the N20.33bn arrears, DisCos are to accelerate repayment over 12 months. The order noted that prepaid customers will receive two tokens per month, while postpaid customers will see two reimbursement line items on their bills.
“To recover the sum of N20.33bn that was not reimbursed to customers as at 31 December 2025, DisCos shall accelerate the rate of recovery for the affected customers over a 12-month period commencing from 1 March 2026,” the order said.
NERC also mandated monthly reporting and a dedicated complaints channel for affected customers.
“All DisCos shall file monthly reports with the Commission detailing the total monetary value of the reimbursement to customers through energy credit, in accordance with the template approved by the Commission.
