Electricity Disconnection: Causes and Reconnection Fees in Nigeria

Ifytex Chibuzor

Hi, I’m Ifytext Chibuzor. I'm an electrician. I have spent over 4 years working with prepaid meters, solar setups, and inverters. I started PowerPek to share real-life solutions to the everyday power issues many of us face with our prepaid meters — from token errors to meter tampering warnings and many others.

Ifytex Chibuzor

As an avid electricity consumer, if you go against the terms and conditions of your electricity distribution company, your light may be disconnected. Once your power supply is interrupted, you won’t have electricity again, leaving you in total darkness.

If you bypass or tamper with your meter or access your meter without authorization, you risk disconnection. For post-paid electricity consumers, if they fail to pay their light bill for three consecutive months, they also risk disconnection.

Not only will disconnection keep you in darkness, but it will also cost you a lot to get your electricity reconnected. The electricity reconnection fee in Nigeria is high; hence, it is best to avoid any act that may lead to disconnection.

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Once your electricity is disconnected, you are going to pay both administrative and reconnection fees. These fees are meter-dependent. The reconnection fees for a single-phase meter are lower than those for a three-phase prepaid meter.

Is Electricity Disconnection Legal?

Yes, electricity disconnection is legal in Nigeria. However, your light won’t be disconnected if you adhere strictly to the terms and conditions of your electricity distribution company.

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Nevertheless, if you go contrary to the terms of operation of your Disco, like bypassing the meter, meter tampering, or unauthorized access, you may be disconnected. And not only that, your electricity will be disconnected, and you may also pay a reconnection fee.

Causes of Electricity Disconnection in Nigeria

In Nigeria, there are a number of reasons why your electricity may be disconnected. Some of the reasons are enumerated below:

Prepaid meter tampering
By-pass
Unauthorized access to electricity
For post-paid electricity users, their electricity supply may be cut if they fail to pay their light bill for three consecutive months (90 days).

In order for your electricity to not be disconnected, it is important to avoid any of the above-mentioned causes.

Is the reconnection fee legal?

Yes, it is legal to pay a reconnection fee in Nigeria. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has authorized electricity distribution companies in the country to collect a reconnection fee from electricity consumers before reconnecting them to use the electricity.

This reconnection fee is not fixed; it varies depending on the offense that led to the disconnection. Not only that, the fee for first-time defaulters is different from that of regular defaulters. Notwithstanding, if your electricity is disconnected, you’re definitely going to pay a reconnection fee before you can use it again.

Electricity Reconnection Fees

The reconnection fee is not fixed; it is dependent on the type of prepaid meter you are using and the offense committed.

It is also pertinent to note that before your meter is reconnected, your DISCO may also charge you an administrative fee.

Categories of Electricity Reconnection Fees

According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), for you to be reconnected, you may be charged an administrative fee and reconnection fees. If you are disconnected due to prepaid meter tampering, bypass, self-reconnection, etc., you are liable to pay the above fees.

For administrative charges, NERC recommended the following:

S/N	Meter -Type	Fee (₦)
1.	Single-phase residential	₦1,500
2.	Three-phase residential	₦3,000
3.	Single-phase commercial	₦3,000
4.	Three-phase commercial	₦6,000
5.	MD LV Residential	₦ 7,500
6.	MD-HT Residential	₦7,500
7.	MD LV Commercial/Industrial	₦7,500
8.	MD-HT Commercial/Industrial	₦15,000.

Table 1.1: Administrative charges for electricity reconnection.

From the table above, we have seen that the administrative charges for electricity reconnection range from ₦1,500 to ₦15,000 depending on your meter type.

For reconnection fees, NERC recommended the following:

S/N	Meter -Type	First Reconnection Fee (₦)	Subsequent Reconnection Fee (₦)
1.	Single-phase residential	₦50,000	₦75,000
2.	Three-phase residential	₦100,000	₦150,000
3.	Single-phase commercial	₦50,000	₦75,000
4.	Three-phase commercial	₦100,000	₦150,000

Table 1.2: Electricity reconnection fee

From the table above, we can see that the reconnection fee varies depending on the type of meter. The reconnection fee for single-phase meters is lower than that for three-phase meters. In the same vein, we also see that the fee for first reconnection is usually lower than that of for subsequent re-connections

How to Pay Reconnection Fee for Electricity

To pay for electricity reconnection, you will need to contact your Disco for reconnection fee account details.

So, if your electricity is disconnected, you will need to contact your Disco and request the account number. They will give you the account number where you can make the payment.

Interestingly, some discos have different payment methods that you can choose from to pay the reconnection fees.

FAQs

What is the meaning of electricity disconnection?

Electricity disconnection simply means stopping your electricity supply due to many reasons like unpaid electricity bills, illegal connections, meter tampering, etc.

How do I disconnect my electric meter?

You can disconnect your electric meter by contacting your electricity provider and requesting meter disconnection. Once you reach out to them and request it, they will disconnect you from the general power supply.

Conclusion

The reconnection fee varies depending on the meter type and the nature of the reconnection. Electricity companies that want reconnection for the first time will likely pay a lower fee than those for subsequent reconnections.

However, as an electricity consumer, we strongly recommend that you adhere strictly to the terms of your Disco to avoid being disconnected. As we can see from the discussion above, the reconnection fees are high, and it makes sense to avoid any action that may lead to the disconnection of your electricity. Don’t forget to use your light responsibly.