The Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) has ordered MainPower Electricity Distribution Company, formerly known as Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), to refund over 20,000 customers in the state for wrongful over-billing
The directive, contained in a public notice issued on Monday, follows a wave of complaints from customers who alleged they had been excessively billed without being provided prepaid meters.
The Commission, citing Section 35 of the Enugu State Electricity Law 2023, stated:
“Pursuant to Section 35 of the Enugu State Electricity Law 2023 and other extant rules, this is to inform customers in Enugu State that the Commission has issued an Order to MainPower to refund the affected customers the overbilled units for energy consumed in April 2025.”
The EERC disclosed that the names of affected customers have been published on its website: www.eerc.en.gov.ng/order. It also advised customers who were not refunded within the stipulated period to contact the Commission via email at info@eerc.en.gov.ng or call 09122642755.
The order, signed by the Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Chijioke Okonkwo and the Commissioner for Market Operations, Barrister Reuben Okoye, stipulates that the refund must be effected within the June 2025 billing cycle, or at the latest by July 2025. Failure to comply, the Commission warned, would attract a daily penalty of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (₦500,000) in line with the provisions of the Enugu State Electricity Law, 2023.
The EERC stated that it began monitoring MainPower’s billing practices in October 2024, after it assumed full regulatory control from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The Commission noted that it had raised concerns in a letter dated December 16, 2024, but that MainPower’s response on January 14, 2025, failed to satisfactorily address the issues.
In another letter dated April 4, 2025, the Commission again pointed out violations of billing caps, covering the period from October 2024 to February 2025, and demanded improvement. A subsequent letter dated May 6, 2025, raised alarms about a “suspiciously striking similarity” between MainPower’s February and March 2025 billing patterns and gave the company 14 days to respond. That deadline expired on May 23, 2025, with no reply received from MainPower.
The Commission noted that its most recent review of MainPower’s billing report for April 2025 revealed a further deterioration in compliance, with violations increasing to 34 percent, compared to 24 percent observed in the previous two months.
” The Commission, therefore, has established that MainPower is in deliberate breach of the Commission’s stipulations in the terms and conditions of MainPower’s Interim Licence with respect to the capping of estimated billing,” the regulatory body stated.
According to the Commission, MainPower must ensure that all overbilled customers receive the appropriate credit adjustment within the June 2025 billing cycle or by July 2025 at the latest. Should the company fail to meet this deadline, it will be liable to a daily fine of ₦500,000 until full compliance is achieved.
Public reaction to the directive has been swift. Mrs. Ugochi Mba, a civil servant residing in Nsukka and one of the affected customers, commended the Commission’s action.
“For months, I’ve been paying outrageous bills without a meter. This is the first time I feel like someone is truly fighting for the average consumer,” she said.
Also speaking, power sector analyst, Engr. Anayo Nwankwo described the decision as a milestone in the regulation of electricity services in Enugu State.
“This marks a new era of consumer protection and regulatory enforcement. MainPower and other operators must now know that Enugu is no longer a no-man’s-land when it comes to electricity injustice,” he remarked.
The EERC reiterated its commitment to enforcing fair and transparent billing practices and warned that it would not hesitate to sanction any operator found violating consumer rights. GMTNewsng
