Over 254,000 Complaints Trail Power DisCos in Early 2025 as Billing, Metering Top Consumer Frustrations

Electricity consumers across Nigeria filed over 254,000 complaints in the first quarter of 2025, with faulty metering, erratic service, and billing inaccuracies topping the list of grievances, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

NERC’s latest quarterly report revealed that from January to March 2025, electricity distribution companies (DisCos) received a total of 254,404 complaints. Though this represents a 7.72 per cent drop compared to the 275,681 complaints in the final quarter of 2024, it still signals persistent dissatisfaction among consumers.

The most common complaints centred on metering (42.84 per cent), billing (12.27 per cent), and service interruption (7.66 per cent). Together, these accounted for over 62 per cent of all recorded cases. NERC highlighted that these recurring issues remain key indicators of operational inefficiencies across the 11 DisCos.

Port Harcourt DisCo recorded the highest number of complaints in Q1, with 57,843 cases, representing nearly 23 per cent of all complaints nationwide. It also led in billing complaints (5,260) and had the highest number of cases under the “Others” category (28,959), indicating a broad range of unresolved issues.

Eko, Ibadan, and Ikeja DisCos followed with 36,780, 42,393, and 25,555 complaints, respectively. Meanwhile, Yola DisCo reported the fewest at 2,495 complaints. Abuja, which had 23,963 complaints in the previous quarter, saw a sharp decline to 6,225 – a 74 per cent drop, the steepest among all DisCos.

However, not all DisCos experienced fewer complaints. Kano DisCo saw an alarming 86 per cent increase in reported cases, climbing from 17,328 to 32,251 in Q1 2025. Other sharp increases were noted in Kaduna (+37.33 per cent), Yola (+30.15 per cent), Aba Power (+17.16 per cent), Ikeja (+9.98 per cent), and Port Harcourt (+5.78 per cent).

Kano’s rise was driven mainly by metering issues, which accounted for 25,988 of its complaints — second only to Eko’s 17,972 complaints in the same category. Ibadan DisCo registered 3,200 metering complaints but was most affected in the “Others” category with 25,940 complaints, suggesting a broader scope of unresolved customer dissatisfaction.

Voltage problems (3,900 cases), disconnections (1,417), load shedding (202), and delays (736) also featured in the report, albeit in smaller proportions.

NERC’s central complaint unit (CCU) directly received an additional 4,169 complaints, again dominated by billing, metering, and service interruptions. At the CCU, Ikeja and Port Harcourt DisCos had the highest billing-related complaints at 283 and 91, respectively, while Abuja had 194.

Notably, complaints about billing irregularities led to customer refunds amounting to N32.2 billion within the quarter. The refunded sums were credited to customer accounts after validation of overbilling claims, NERC said.

“The credit adjustment on customers’ bills, following resolved complaints, is a strong indicator of our commitment to consumer protection and accountability in the power sector,” the commission noted.

Despite the volume of complaints, the power firms collected N553.63 billion in the first quarter of 2025. This increase in revenue came amid continued public frustration over unreliable electricity, billing inefficiencies, and poor service delivery.

NERC has pledged to tighten enforcement and improve customer service protocols across all DisCos. The commission said it is also enhancing internal monitoring systems to ensure prompt resolution of complaints and reduction in repeated service failures.

With Nigeria’s electricity sector still plagued by instability, sector watchers say that rebuilding public trust will depend heavily on how quickly and effectively consumer grievances are addressed.