DisCos collected ₦220.93bn in August but left ₦40bn of bills unpaid

Nigeria's electricity distribution companies collected ₦220.93 billion from customers in August 2026, out of ₦261.10 billion they billed. That left ₦40.17 billion unpaid in a single month.

The figures come from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission's factsheet on the commercial performance of the 11 DisCos for August, reported by ThisDay, Arise News and The Whistler.

Collections improved

The share of bills paid, known as collection efficiency, rose to 84.62%. That is 2.66 percentage points better than July. Money collected was up 7.49% on the month.

Abuja Electricity Distribution Company made the biggest jump. It collected ₦37.57 billion of the ₦40.88 billion it billed, a rate of 91.91% and an improvement of almost 11 points on July. Eko and Ikeja still collected a high share of their bills, though both slipped from July. The reports differ on which DisCo topped the table, so we have not named a leader.

At the bottom, all reports agree. Kaduna Electric collected only 55.44% of what it billed. Kano (60.31%) and Jos (61.98%) were also weak.

Energy that never reaches a bill

The bigger leak happens before any bill is sent. DisCos received electricity worth ₦346.49 billion in August but billed customers for ₦261.10 billion. The difference, about ₦85 billion, is energy lost on old lines, stolen, or used without a proper bill.

Billing efficiency was 75.36%, barely changed from July. Eko billed the highest share of its energy at 84.49%. Kaduna billed the lowest at 60.92%.

Short of the allowed tariff

Put losses and unpaid bills together and the average DisCo recovered ₦101.03 for every unit of power it received. NERC's allowed average tariff for the month was ₦130.15. So each unit fell about ₦29 short of what the regulator says is needed to cover costs.

Eko came closest, recovering 96.29% of its allowed tariff. Kaduna recovered just 41.90%, or about ₦51 of the ₦121.80 it was allowed.

What it means for you

When DisCos lose money, the pressure lands on paying customers. Firms short of cash tend to lean on estimated billing, delay meter roll-outs and spend less on transformers and feeders.

If you pay your bills but sit on a feeder where many people do not, your supply hours can suffer too, because a DisCo has little reason to send more power where it collects little.

For customers in Kaduna, Kano and Jos franchise areas, the numbers point to a long road before service improves. For Abuja, the sharp rise in collections is a better sign, though it does not by itself mean more hours of light.