Electricity distribution companies received over 254,404 customer complaints in the first quarter of 2025, largely driven by grievances over faulty metering, erratic service, and inaccurate billing, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has said.

In its newly released quarterly report, NERC revealed that a total of 254,404 complaints were lodged by consumers between January and March 2025, marking a 7.72 per cent drop from the 275,681 complaints received in the previous quarter.

The top three issues reported by customers were metering (42.84 per cent ), billing (12.27 per cent), and service interruption (7.66 per cent), cumulatively accounting for over 62 per cent of all complaints recorded.

Despite the slight decline in total numbers, NERC noted that Port Harcourt DisCo received the highest number of complaints with 57,843 cases, representing 22.74 per cent of the national total.

Yola DisCo received the least at 2,495 complaints, or 0.98 per cent. Other top complaint destinations included Eko (36,780), Ibadan (42,393), and Ikeja (25,555). Abuja, which had logged 23,963 complaints in the previous quarter, saw a dramatic drop to 6,225, a 74 per cent decline, the steepest among all DisCos.

The report read, “The total number of complaints received in 2025/Q1 was 254,404 across all DisCos; this represents a 7.72 per cent decrease compared to the 275,681 received in 2024/Q4.

Port Harcourt DisCo received the highest number of complaints (57,843), representing 22.74 per cent of total complaints received. Yola DisCo received the least number of complaints (2,495), representing 0.98 per cent of total complaints received.

“Six DisCos recorded declines in the number of customer complaints received in 2025/Q1 compared to 2024/Q4. Abuja (-74.02 per cent), Benin (-30.17 per cent), and Jos (-29.16 per cent) DisCos recorded the most reductions. Kano (+86.12 per cent), Kaduna (+37.33 per cent), Yola (+30.15 per cent), Aba Power (+17.16 per cent), Ikeja (+9.98 per cent) and Port Harcourt (+5.78 per cent) DisCos on the other hand recorded increases in the number of customer complaints received between 2024/Q4 and 2025/Q1.

“The most common issues among the 254,404 complaints received by DisCos in 2025/Q1 were metering (42.84 per cent), billing (12.27 per cent) and service interruption (7.66 per cent). These three (3) categories cumulatively accounted for 62.77 per cent of the total complaints in the quarter.”

NERC’s analysis also showed that while six DisCos recorded drops in complaints, others saw sharp increases. Notably, Kano Electricity Distribution Company experienced an 86 per cent spike, rising from 17,328 complaints in Q4 2024 to 32,251 in Q1 2025. Kaduna (+37.3 per cent), Yola (+30.15 per cent), and Aba Power (+17.16 per cent) also saw marked increases.

The commission said complaints about billing, the second-most frequent category, led to customer refunds totalling N32.2bn in the first quarter alone. The amount was credited to customers’ accounts after verified overbilling claims.

Port Harcourt also topped the billing complaints chart with 5,260 cases, in addition to receiving the highest number of complaints in the “Others” category (28,959). Eko DisCo recorded 17,972 metering complaints, 4,497 service interruptions, and 11,562 others.

Ibadan DisCo saw a significant number of metering issues at 3,200 but was most hit by “Others” at 25,940, suggesting a wide range of additional unresolved issues. Other categories of concern include voltage issues (3,900 cases), load shedding (202 cases), disconnections (1,417 cases), and delays (736 cases).

Notably, Kano DisCo, which received 32,251 complaints, reported 25,988 metering-related issues, the second-highest in that category after Eko. At the central complaint unit of the commission, an additional 4,169 complaints were received directly, with billing, metering, and interruption still dominating the feedback.

Port Harcourt and Ikeja DisCos had the highest billing-related complaints recorded at the NERC CCU, with 91 and 283, respectively. Abuja followed closely with 194 complaints.

While commenting on the development, NERC 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 regulator also reiterated its plan to strengthen enforcement mechanisms and customer service protocols across all 11 DisCos to ensure faster resolution of complaints and reduce recurring grievances.

As Nigeria continues to grapple with power supply inconsistencies, experts believe addressing customer feedback in real time will be critical to restoring public trust in the electricity sector.

The distribution companies collected N553.63bn in the first quarter of 2025 despite widespread complaints of low power supply, billing inefficiencies, and persistent outages. This jump in earnings came even as Nigerians grappled with unreliable electricity, grid frequency instability, and supply fluctuations.