Unmetered electricity customers in Band A and Band B may soon get meters at no cost under a N30 billion programme from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, according to a report by Daily Post Nigeria. Customers are not expected to pay for the meters or for having them installed.
What the order says
The plan is the third tranche of the Meter Acquisition Fund, MAF, created through NERC Order No. NERC/2026/121. Per the report, the order took effect on November 2, 2026.
For Band A, the order provides for metering every consumer in the category who is still without a meter. Band B customers are covered too, with the distribution companies told to speed up installations for them. The report stresses, however, that NERC did not promise that every unmetered Band B customer would get a meter immediately.
Who delivers the meters
The job falls to the country's 11 electricity distribution companies, the DisCos. They are expected to run transparent procurement that involves eligible Local Meter Manufacturers and Assemblers, known as LMMAs, and Meter Asset Providers, known as MAPs, whose meter stocks have been verified. NERC also told the DisCos to share the meters fairly across the states they serve.
Customers should note that the commission did not set up an individual application process, registration portal or application form. Handling procurement and installation is left to the DisCos, and NERC has not outlined how a customer can apply.
Anti-resale rules and deadline
To stop the meters from being sold on, NERC directed that each unit must show the DisCo's name, the funding tranche it belongs to and the inscription "NOT FOR SALE".
The DisCos have until May 31, 2027, to finish all installations under this tranche. NERC will track progress through reporting and evaluation requirements that involve the Fund Manager, the DisCos and the participating meter providers.
The order also shields customers from extra charges. If a DisCo moves a customer's connection point for revenue protection reasons, the company, not the customer, must pay the relocation costs.
The report's bottom line is that the meters are free, but when a customer actually gets one will depend on how each DisCo carries out the programme.
