AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
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The short answer
For suspected tampering or bypass, NERC's amended order requires AEDC to inspect the meter with evidence recorded in your presence and to issue a disconnection notice once tampering is confirmed, before it disconnects. For unpaid postpaid bills, notice rules sit in NERC's Customer Protection Regulations 2023. Once you pay or agree an arrangement, the order requires reconnection within 48 hours.
First, is it a disconnection at all?
Many people who think they have been disconnected are facing something else. It helps to work out which before you complain:
| What you see | Likely cause | Who to contact |
|---|---|---|
| The whole street is dark | Feeder or transformer outage, or load shortage | AEDC fault line |
| Prepaid meter shows zero credit | Units have run out | Buy a token |
| Meter shows credit but no supply to your building only | Fault on your service cable or meter, or a physical disconnection | AEDC, and check for a notice |
| AEDC staff have removed your cable or meter | Disconnection | Ask for the notice and reason in writing |
If you are on a Band A feeder and the outage lasts days, that is a service failure, not a disconnection, and NERC's rules on Band A performance apply. See Band A below 20 hours.
Disconnection for tampering or bypass
This is where NERC's rules are most specific. The Amended Order on Unauthorised Access, Meter Tampering and By-Pass (NERC/2024/148), effective 22 January 2025, sets a procedure that AEDC must follow:
- Inspect and test the meter, recording the tampering on video and photographs in the presence of the customer or the customer's representative.
- Keep detailed records, including test results and witness statements.
- Issue a disconnection notice if tampering, bypass or malfunction is confirmed.
- Disconnect the premises after the notice, following established procedures.
So in a tampering case, the order expects evidence gathered with you or your representative present and a notice before disconnection. If AEDC disconnects with no inspection record and no notice, ask for both in writing. The charges and the reconnection fee are explained in AEDC bypass penalties.
Disconnection for unpaid postpaid bills
For postpaid customers who fall behind, the governing rules are NERC's Customer Protection Regulations 2023, which the bypass order cites for reconnection. We could not confirm the exact notice period from a page we opened, so we do not state one here. Read the current regulations on NERC's website, and in the meantime:
- Ask AEDC for the disconnection notice and the bill it relates to.
- If the bill is an estimate you dispute, raise the dispute in writing before the disconnection date and keep the acknowledgement.
- If you are unmetered, check the bill against NERC's cap on estimated bills; see the AEDC estimated bill cap.
- If you can pay part, ask for a payment arrangement in writing.
Reconnection: the 48-hour rule
In tampering cases, NERC's order says you are reconnected after paying the administrative charge and reconnection cost, or after agreeing a payment arrangement, and AEDC must reconnect within 48 hours of payment, citing section 26 of the Customer Protection Regulations 2023. The order sets reconnection costs of ₦10,000 for non-MD customers and ₦50,000 for maximum-demand customers. If AEDC reconnects late, the order provides compensation of 100% of your daily consumption in energy credit; we read this as applying per day of delay.
Worked example, for illustration. A non-MD household that normally uses 6 kWh a day is reconnected two days after the 48-hour deadline. Compensation under the order would be 2 × 6 kWh = 12 kWh of energy credit.
What to do if you are cut off
- Ask the AEDC team for identification, the reason and the notice.
- Photograph the meter, cables and any notice left.
- Email AEDC's customer care with your account or meter number, the date and photos. See AEDC customer care channels.
- If AEDC does not resolve it, take it to the NERC Forum office in Abuja, listed by LawPadi at No. 14, Road 131, Gwarinpa.
When the problem belongs to a previous occupant
If you have just moved in and supply is cut over a debt or a tampering finding from before your tenancy, say so at once and in writing, with your tenancy agreement or handover date. The tampering order bills energy for the established period of unauthorised access, so dates matter. See moving house in AEDC's area.
Before you pay a reconnection demand
Check what you are being asked to pay and to whom. Under the tampering order, payments are separated by type: the back-bill and administrative charge are paid into a designated collection account, and the reconnection cost is a separate line. Ask AEDC for a written demand that shows each element, pay only through AEDC's official channels, and keep the receipt. Cash handed to a field team member with no official receipt is hard to prove later.
Where Pryme fits
Most disconnections for non-payment are avoidable with reminders. A Personal Assistant can remind you before a bill is due and prepare the payment for your approval; you can pay through electricity in the app.
Questions people ask
Can AEDC disconnect me without notice?
In tampering cases NERC's order requires AEDC to issue a disconnection notice once tampering is confirmed. For unpaid postpaid bills, check the notice rules in NERC's Customer Protection Regulations 2023.
How long does AEDC take to reconnect after payment?
NERC's tampering order requires reconnection within 48 hours of payment or of agreeing a payment arrangement.
How much is AEDC reconnection fee?
Under NERC/2024/148, the reconnection cost after a tampering case is ₦10,000 for non-MD customers and ₦50,000 for MD customers.
Can AEDC disconnect me for an estimated bill I dispute?
Raise the dispute in writing before any disconnection date, check the bill against NERC's estimated-billing cap, and escalate to the NERC Forum office if needed.
Sources
- NERC: Amended Order on Unauthorised Access, Meter Tampering and By-Pass (NERC/2024/148) · accessed Oct 2026
- LawPadi: How to make a complaint to Abuja Electricity Distribution Company · accessed Oct 2026
- NERC: July 2025 Supplementary Order to MYTO-2024 for AEDC (ORDER/NERC/2025/059) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.