How Electricity Companies Received Over 250,000 Complaints from Nigerians in Just 3 Months

Faulty meters, billing inaccuracies, and poor service delivery drove a staggering 254,404 electricity complaints from Nigerian consumers in the first quarter of 2025, according to the latest report released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

The Q1 report, covering the period from January to March 2025, highlights continued dissatisfaction with electricity distribution companies (DisCos), even though the total number of complaints dropped by 7.72% from 275,681 recorded in Q4 2024.

NERC’s data shows that complaints about metering (42.84%), billing (12.27%), and service interruptions (7.66%)were the top three concerns, jointly accounting for over 62% of all reported issues nationwide.

Port Harcourt DisCo topped the complaint chart with 57,843 cases, making up 22.74% of the national total. Yola DisCohad the fewest complaints with 2,495, representing 0.98%. Other high-volume DisCos included Ibadan (42,393), Eko (36,780), and Ikeja (25,555).

Significant regional shifts were also noted. Abuja DisCo, which had logged 23,963 complaints in Q4 2024, recorded only 6,225 in Q1 2025 — a dramatic 74% decline, the steepest nationwide.

While six DisCos recorded reductions in customer complaints, others saw sharp increases. Notably, Kano DisCowitnessed an 86.12% spike, from 17,328 to 32,251 complaints in just one quarter. Kaduna (+37.33%), Yola (+30.15%), and Aba Power (+17.16%) also reported rising complaint figures.

Billing disputes, the second-most common complaint category, led to ₦32.2 billion in refunds during the first quarter. These refunds were credited to customers’ accounts after verification of overbilling claims. Port Harcourt again led the billing complaints chart with 5,260 cases, and also recorded the highest in the “Others” category with 28,959.

Eko DisCo registered 17,972 metering complaints, 4,497 service interruptions, and 11,562 others. Ibadan DisCofaced 3,200 metering-related issues, but a larger share of its total complaints (25,940) fell under undefined “Other” problems, suggesting more complex or unclassified concerns.

Further issues across the board included:

• Voltage irregularities (3,900 cases)

• Load shedding (202)

• Unjust disconnections (1,417)

• Delayed responses (736)

At NERC’s Central Complaint Unit (CCU), 4,169 complaints were directly filed, with Ikeja (283), Abuja (194), and Port Harcourt (91) topping the list of billing grievances submitted through the central platform.

NERC, in its statement, 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 reiterated plans to enhance enforcement and streamline complaint resolution protocols across all 11 DisCos, with a renewed focus on real-time responses and improved service delivery.

Despite the flood of complaints, the report noted that electricity distribution companies collected a total of ₦553.63 billion in Q1 2025 — a sharp earnings figure that contrasts with persistent complaints of erratic supply, grid instability, and unreliable billing.