NERC Orders 20% Compensation for Band A Customers Over Electricity Shortfalls

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has ordered electricity distribution companies to pay 20 per cent compensation to eligible Band A customers who were affected by power shortfalls between February and March 2026.

In Directive No. NERC/2026/002, the commission said generation constraints—largely caused by inadequate gas supply and vandalism of gas and transmission infrastructure—prevented DisCos from meeting committed service levels for some Band A feeders.

NERC Mandated that for feeders that supplied less than 18 hours per day, affected Band A feeders will not be downgraded during the covered period, and eligible customers will receive special compensation equal to 20 per cent of approved energy figures for February 2026.

However, for Band A feeders that recorded an average daily supply of between 18 and 20 hours, the existing compensation framework under Addendum No. NERC/2024/003 applies to both Maximum Demand (MD) and Non-Maximum Demand (Non-MD) customers.

MD customers are high-consumption users who typically have their own dedicated transformer and operate with a load of 45 kVA and above; they include large residential estates, banks, hotels, supermarkets, industrial facilities and oil and gas complexes. Non-MD customers do not have a dedicated transformer and instead share public transformers, and they generally consume less, often below 45–50 kVA.

For Non-MD customers, compensation is set at 20 per cent of the approved February 2026 energy cap applicable to the affected feeder.
For MD customers, compensation is 20 per cent of the average energy billed per MD customer in February 2026.
According to NERC, Prepaid customers will receive their compensation as token credits, while postpaid customers will receive bill adjustments.

The commission said that compensation for February must be completed by 31 May 2026, while compensation for March must be completed by 30 June 2026.

The commission prohibited Distribution companies from using compensation credits to offset any existing customer debt, adding that customers must be clearly informed of the value and period of the compensation they receive.

NERC said it will monitor implementation and verify compliance to ensure all eligible customers receive what they are due.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to protecting electricity consumers while ensuring the stability and sustainability of the electricity market.