Millions of Nigerian electricity consumers who paid for meters may be entitled to receive additional electricity credits as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) moves to recover a ₦20.33 billion meter-reimbursement backlog owed to customers.
The development follows an amended order issued by NERC on March 3, 2026, directing electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to accelerate the reimbursement of customers who paid upfront for their meters under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) arrangement.
According to NERC, the ₦20.33 billion represented the amount that had not been reimbursed to eligible customers as of December 31, 2025.
What NERC ordered DisCos to do
Under the directive, DisCos are required to accelerate the recovery of the outstanding amount over a 12-month period beginning March 1, 2026.
For affected prepaid-meter customers, the outstanding reimbursement is to be divided into 12 equal instalments and issued as additional electricity tokens.
This means eligible customers are expected to receive two reimbursement tokens from their DisCo over the 12-month recovery period—the normal monthly reimbursement plus an additional token meant to clear the backlog.
For postpaid customers, the reimbursement is to appear separately on their monthly electricity bills as a credit and should reduce the amount payable.
How much can a customer receive?
NERC’s order provides for reimbursement of the cost of an eligible MAP meter through a 120-month amortisation period.
For prepaid customers, the communication accompanying the reimbursement token should contain information including the original cost of the meter, the total value of reimbursement credits already applied and the remaining balance.
For postpaid customers, the same information is expected to be reflected on their bills.
Important: DisCos cannot use the refund to settle old electricity debts
One of the key protections for consumers is that the meter reimbursement is meant to be treated as a separate credit.
The purpose is to return to customers, through electricity credits, money they previously paid for their MAP meters rather than simply allowing the reimbursement to disappear into other outstanding electricity charges.
Who is affected?
The directive primarily concerns customers who paid upfront for electricity meters under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme and had not received the full reimbursement due to them.
Therefore, Nigerians should not assume that every electricity customer will automatically receive a refund.
If you paid for a qualifying MAP meter, you should check your electricity account, prepaid-token messages and bills for the reimbursement.
How will prepaid customers know they have received it?
NERC directed that reimbursement tokens should be sent to the telephone number and email address registered to the customer’s electricity account.
The communication should also provide details of the customer’s meter reimbursement, including the original meter cost, credits already received and the outstanding balance.
Customers who believe they are eligible but have not received the expected credit should keep evidence of their meter payment and contact their DisCo.
Is NERC still pursuing the reimbursement?
Yes.
NERC’s latest publications in September 2026 continue to show that the Commission is actively regulating the DisCos and monitoring the electricity market. Its most recent metering publication is the May and June 2026 Metering Factsheet, released on September 2, 2026. NERC has not published a newer notice stating that the ₦20.33 billion reimbursement programme has been cancelled or replaced.
However, NERC has not, in the latest material publicly available, announced that the entire ₦20.33 billion backlog has already been paid to customers.
This means customers should be cautious of claims on social media suggesting that NERC has already transferred cash directly into consumers’ bank accounts.
The reimbursement is primarily being delivered through electricity credits/tokens or deductions from bills, rather than a conventional cash refund into customers’ bank accounts.
What electricity customers should do now
Customers who paid for their MAP meters should:
- Check their prepaid tokens regularly.
- Check SMS and email messages registered with their DisCo.
- Check their electricity bills for a separate MAP reimbursement credit.
- Keep receipts or evidence showing that they paid for the meter.
- Compare the amount paid for the meter with the reimbursement credits received.
- Contact their DisCo if they believe they have been left out of the reimbursement.
- Escalate unresolved complaints through NERC’s consumer complaint channels.
Vreporters gathered from about three residents of Ayobo in Lagos who confirmed the receipt of token from Ikeja Electricity company confirming the beginning of the reimbursement.
The development could provide relief to thousands of Nigerians who paid for electricity meters but have been waiting for the corresponding reimbursement through energy credits.
For now, the key figure remains ₦20.33 billion, while the reimbursement programme is scheduled to operate on an accelerated basis over the 12-month period that began in March 2026.
