The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has disclosed that a total of 148,077 electricity customers were metered across the country during May and June 2025, marking a gradual improvement in the nation’s electricity metering status.
According to the commission’s latest factsheet on the Metering Status of Distribution Companies (DisCos), released on Wednesday, 63,180 customers were metered in May, while 84,897 were metered in June. This brought the total number of metered customers nationwide to 6,422,933 as of June 2025.
The figures represent a modest rise in the national metering rate, increasing from 53.78 per cent in May to 54.33 per cent in June. The data also showed that the country’s total active electricity customers rose marginally from 11,784,842 in May to 11,821,194 in June.
In terms of performance, Ikeja DisCo recorded the highest metering rate at 84.65 per cent, followed closely by Eko DisCo with 83.33 per cent and Abuja DisCo with 73.06 per cent. At the lower end of the spectrum, Yola DisCo had the lowest metering rate at 28.55 per cent, with Jos and Kaduna DisCos also lagging at 29.51 per cent and 33.46 per cent, respectively.
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Among the notable improvements, Aba DisCo showed the most significant progress, with its metering rate rising from 37.88 per cent in May to 45.17 per cent in June, following the installation of 12,376 new meters. Benin DisCo also achieved a milestone by crossing the 50 per cent metering threshold, increasing its rate from 49.95 per cent to 50.33 per cent within the same period.
Despite these gains, seven out of the 12 DisCos remain below the 50 per cent metering rate, leaving millions of customers unmetered and subject to estimated billing. This practice, often criticised by consumers as arbitrary and unfair, remains a significant concern.
In response to issues arising from estimated billing, NERC has maintained its policy of setting monthly energy caps for all feeders. These caps define the maximum amount of energy that may be billed to unmetered customers based on the total energy consumption of the feeder and the usage profile of metered customers connected to the same feeder.
However, there have been reports that several DisCos continue to overbill customers despite these regulations, prompting the commission to impose sanctions on erring companies.
Metering remains one of the dominant sources of customer dissatisfaction according to NERC’s quarterly reports, alongside billing disputes and frequent service interruptions. The commission continues to emphasise the importance of improving metering coverage to enhance billing accuracy, transparency, and overall customer satisfaction in Nigeria’s power sector.
