No meter? NERC has set the most your DisCo can bill you this month. Here is how to find it

Many Nigerian homes still have no prepaid or postpaid meter. They get an estimated bill every month. Many people feel those estimates are too high. There is a limit, and you can check it yourself.

What is an energy cap?

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) publishes a cap every month for every feeder. It is the highest number of units, in kilowatt-hours, that an unmetered customer on that feeder and in that tariff band can be billed for.

The cap is worked out from how much electricity the feeder actually received the month before. So if your area had poor supply in October, November's cap should be lower.

NERC's billing guidance is plain: "The Commission does not allow for customers to be billed above the energy cap."

November's caps

NERC posted November's caps on 2 November, one file for each of 10 DisCos: Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ibadan, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt and Yola. Each is based on energy consumed in October 2026 and issued under NERC's order on monthly energy caps for unmetered customers (Order NERC/307/2022). We did not see a file for Abuja when we checked on 6 November.

The files are tables. Each row gives a state, a business unit, a feeder name, a band and the cap in kWh.

Lagos and Enugu customers, take note

The Ikeja file we read lists feeders in Ogun State only, and the Enugu file lists feeders in Ebonyi State only. That fits the fact that Lagos and Enugu states now regulate electricity themselves. Why your state may now make your power rules. NERC's files do not say this, so if you live in Lagos or Enugu State, check with your state regulator for the cap that applies to you.

How to check your bill, step by step

1. Find your feeder name and tariff band on your latest bill.
2. Go to nerc.gov.ng and open the Resources page. Look for "Monthly Energy Cap November 2026" for your DisCo.
3. Find your state, business unit and feeder. Read across to the cap for your band.
4. Compare it with the units (kWh) on your bill. The units, not the naira amount.

To turn units into money, multiply by your band's rate. On NERC's Band A rate of ₦209.50 per kWh, for example, a cap of 200 kWh would allow an energy charge of up to ₦41,900 for the month.

If your bill is above the cap

Complain to your DisCo first, in writing, and keep a copy. Quote the feeder, band and cap from NERC's file. If the DisCo does not resolve it, you can take it to NERC's Forum office for your area. NERC also says any case of a customer being pushed from a working meter on to estimated billing should be reported to it.

What it means for you

An unmetered bill is a guess, but it is a guess with a ceiling. Checking takes ten minutes once a month. If you are regularly billed above the cap, you have a clear case for a refund or a lower bill. Better still, ask your DisCo about a meter. How the tariff bands work.