Discos Barred from Disconnecting Houses with People on Life-Support Machines

By Moses Patience Chat

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has ordered Electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) to avoid disconnecting power supply to premises or houses where people may be using life-support machines.

NERC issued this order in Abuja on Monday in its latest Customer Protection Regulations for 2023, where it stated that a distribution company should on no account disconnect electricity supply to any premises where it is aware that a life-support machine is in use.

It also advised customers that have life-support machines installed in their premises to ensure they enter into an acceptable arrangement with distribution companies for the settlement of their bills and that the distribution companies have the right to recover any debt from these customers by other legal means.

The Commission further assured that any electricity consumer that has been disconnected in violation of the above regulations will be compensated by the distribution company responsible for the act.

NERC added that energy credits that are equivalent to their average daily consumption computed on the basis of their bills for the last three months will be used as compensation for any number of days the unlawful disconnection lasted.

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