channeling & handling of customers’ complaints

Firstly, the distribution company is wrong for not handling your complaint quickly enough. In fact, complaints of this type must be handled within 15 working days of the receipt of the complaint by the company’s customer complaints unit. In fact, where the “Unit” requires time to carry out its investigations as to your complaint, the unit is expected to serve on you a notice of such intention every 15 working days until the complaint is resolved. However if you are not satisfied with the way the unit is handling your complaint, you may refer your complaint to the “Forum for customer complaints” which is established by the NERC. Regulation 3(8)(9)NERC Customer complaint handling; Standard and Procedure 2006.

Very compulsory. The bills issued by every Disco to its customers for electricity supplied must contain the address, post office, box number, telephone number and e-mail address of the forum. In fact, it must also have on it the statement that; “Customers whose complaints are not satisfactorily addressed by the customers’ complaint unit of the distribution licensee may approach the forum established for customers’ complaints”. Regulation 7(4) NERC Customer Complaint Handling; Standard and Procedure 2006.

In giving its decision on the basis of a customer complaint, the forum may make the following; i. Returning to the complainant the undue charges paid by him. ii. Removing the deficiencies in the service which is the subject of a customer’s complaint. iii. Discontinuing any unfair trade practice. iv. Withdrawing the hazardous electrical services being offered. v. Providing for adequate cost to the claimant. The Forum may also dismiss a complainant if it is found to lack merit. Regulation 11(1)(2) NERC Customer Complaint Handling; Standard and Procedure 2006.

To make a complaint, you must lodge your complaint in writing with the customer unit of the Distribution Company. You may even do this through E-mail to their respective customer complaint Unit’s E-mail address which, of course, the Disco is mandated to publish. Where the complainant is an illiterate, the complainant is to make his complaint to a customer unit officer who shall record it and insert a statement indicating that the complaint understood same.

To facilitate easy registration of complaint by customers, the distribution licensee (that is the electricity distribution company, the Discos) shall obtain and make readily available a post office box number for both the customer complaints unit and the forum. Regulation 7(5) NERC Customer Complaint Handling; Standard and Procedure 2006.

To facilitate easy registration of complaint by customers, the distribution licensee (that is the electricity distribution company, the Discos) shall obtain and make readily available a post office box number for both the customer complaints unit and the forum. Regulation 7(5) NERC Customer Complaint Handling; Standard and Procedure 2006.

It is very wrong. In fact the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s Complaint Handling; Standards and Procedures 2006 makes it mandatory for all electricity Discos to have at least one customer complaints unit within its premises that would be responsible for dispute resolution and resolving customer complaints. Regulation 3(1)(2) of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission Complaint Handling; Standards and Procedures 2006 Regulation.

Yes, you have the right to take some limited actions in that circumstance. As a customer for value, when the electricity supply to your premises goes out in such circumstance, that is, this happens during the working hours of the distribution company, you can inform the disco of the power outage. The company upon receipt of your information is expected to send an authorized officer to the premises within 24 hours of being notified by the customer and investigate the cause of the problem. Where the problem is as a result of the distribution company’s equipment, same shall be fixed or replaced where necessary and power restored within 24 hours of the original notification. Regulation 1(1) NERC Customer complaint handling; Standard and Procedure 2006.

Yes, you do. Any person or organization not satisfied or aggrieved by a decision made by the Forum may appeal to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission against the decision. Regulation 12 NERC Customer complaint handling; Standard and Procedure 2006.

No, there are situations the distribution company will not be bound by the above regulation. Those situations include the following instances: i. Where it is found that the customer did not inform the company of the outage. ii. Where the customers installation is responsible for the problem. iii. Where it is impracticable for the distribution company to comply with the time stipulated in the regulation due to the nature of the problem. Regulation 1(2) NERC’s Customer complaint handling; Standard and Procedure 2006.