KEY POINTS

• Eko Power Ltd. says customers will not be disconnected or penalised for using less electricity after investing in solar energy.
• The company cancelled a ₦112,606 loss-of-revenue charge issued to a customer who installed an 18-kilowatt solar system.
• The disconnection notice issued to the customer was withdrawn, and the company said he had never been disconnected.
• Eko Power said the customer’s prepaid meter was faulty and replaced it at no cost.
• The company said it would not impose back-billing or other charges arising from the incident.

MAIN STORY

Eko Power Ltd. has cancelled a ₦112,606 charge issued to a customer who installed a solar power system at his property, saying customers will not be penalised or disconnected for reducing their reliance on electricity supplied through the national grid.

Abiola Aloba, General Manager of the company’s Corporate Communication Unit, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Lagos following a complaint by Raphael Awoseyin, who alleged that Eko Power personnel repeatedly visited his property after he installed an 18-kilowatt solar system.

Awoseyin said the visits followed suspicions of meter bypass after his prepaid meter recorded little or no electricity consumption.

He also alleged that the company issued him a disconnection notice and demanded ₦112,606 to recover revenue it believed it had lost because of the low consumption.

Aloba, however, said the company had cancelled the charge in full and withdrawn the disconnection notice. He added that Awoseyin had never been disconnected.

“The ‘Loss of Revenue’ demand has been cancelled in full. It should not have been made, and the customer doesn’t owe us,” Aloba said.

He maintained that Eko Power supported customers investing in alternative energy and would not punish them for reducing their use of grid electricity.

“Eko Power supports customers who invest in solar. Low electricity consumption is not a reason to disconnect anyone,” he said.

Aloba explained that tests revealed that Awoseyin’s prepaid meter, which had been in service for many years, was faulty. The company subsequently replaced it at no cost to the customer.

He added that Awoseyin would not face back-billing, reconciliation charges or other costs arising from the incident.

Awoseyin said he relied mainly on solar energy during the day and used electricity supplied by Eko Power as backup at night. He explained that he briefly switched to the company’s supply to demonstrate that his meter could record electricity consumption.

According to Awoseyin, the meter recorded consumption during the demonstration, but company personnel returned the following day with a disconnection notice.

He said his last electricity token purchase was in July 2026 and that some units remained on the meter.

Awoseyin further alleged that personnel attributed his low consumption to a faulty meter and demanded ₦112,606 to recover the company’s alleged revenue loss. He said he offered to have the meter tested but was told that the company needed to recover the amount because it was losing revenue.

THE ISSUES

The dispute highlights a potential challenge for electricity distribution companies as more customers install solar systems and buy less electricity from the grid.

For households and businesses, solar power can reduce the amount of electricity purchased from a distribution company. However, unusually low meter readings can also raise questions about whether a meter is faulty or electricity is being used without being properly recorded.

In this case, Eko Power said the customer’s meter was faulty and replaced it, while also cancelling the disputed charge. Its response makes clear that, according to the company, low consumption alone is not grounds for disconnection.

The incident also raises questions about how distribution companies investigate low consumption, communicate suspected meter problems and handle disputed charges. Clear testing procedures and transparent explanations are important to prevent customers from being wrongly billed or threatened with disconnection.

WHAT’S BEING SAID

• “The ‘Loss of Revenue’ demand has been cancelled in full. It should not have been made, and the customer doesn’t owe us.” – Abiola Aloba, General Manager, Corporate Communication Unit, Eko Power Ltd.
• “Eko Power supports customers who invest in solar. Low electricity consumption is not a reason to disconnect anyone.” – Abiola Aloba, General Manager, Corporate Communication Unit, Eko Power Ltd.

WHAT’S NEXT

Eko Power has withdrawn the disconnection notice, cancelled the disputed charge and replaced the customer’s faulty meter at no cost.

The company has also said it will not impose additional charges arising from the incident. Its handling of similar cases will be important in determining whether customers can confidently invest in solar energy without fearing penalties simply because they purchase less grid electricity.

BOTTOM LINE

Eko Power has cancelled a ₦112,606 charge against a solar-powered customer after finding his prepaid meter faulty. The company says customers will not be disconnected or penalised simply for using less grid electricity, a position that could reassure households and businesses considering solar power.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)