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The short answer
Under NERC's Amended Order on Unauthorised Access, Meter Tampering and By-Pass (NERC/2024/148), effective 22 January 2025, the administrative charge for a non-maximum-demand residential customer is ₦100,000 for a first single-phase offence and ₦200,000 for three-phase, rising to ₦150,000 and ₦300,000 for repeat offences. The DisCo can also back-bill the lost energy at your tariff and charge a ₦10,000 reconnection fee, but must first gather evidence in your presence and serve a disconnection notice.
The order that sets the rules
Meter bypass, tampering and unauthorised connection are covered by one NERC instrument: Order NERC/2024/148, the Amended Order on Unauthorised Access, Meter Tampering and By-Pass. It amends the earlier order NERC/REG/41/2017 of 6 December 2017 and took effect on 22 January 2025. It sets three things: what a DisCo may charge, what it must do before charging, and how quickly it must reconnect you after payment.
What a DisCo may charge
The charges come in three separate parts, and the order requires DisCos to collect them as separate payments.
1. Administrative charge (Table 1 of the order)
| Customer type | First offence | Subsequent offence |
|---|---|---|
| Non-MD single-phase residential | ₦100,000 | ₦150,000 |
| Non-MD three-phase residential | ₦200,000 | ₦300,000 |
| Maximum demand (MD) | 450% of last authorised monthly consumption | 600% of last authorised monthly consumption |
2. Loss of revenue (back-billing)
The DisCo may bill the energy it believes you used without paying, at your prevailing tariff, for the established period of the unauthorised access. The order does not fix a number of months, so the period has to be established from evidence such as your consumption history. This part is often larger than the administrative charge, and it is the part most worth questioning.
3. Reconnection fee (Table 2)
- Non-MD customers: ₦10,000
- MD customers: ₦50,000
These are in addition to the Table 1 charge. Once you have paid, the DisCo must reconnect within 48 hours. If it does not, or if the disconnection was unjustified, you are owed an energy credit equal to 100% of your daily consumption (Table 3).
Worked example (illustrative)
Example only: a single-phase household found with a bypass for the first time. Administrative charge ₦100,000. Suppose the DisCo establishes three months of unbilled use at 150 kWh a month and a tariff of ₦60 per kWh: 3 × 150 × ₦60 = ₦27,000. Reconnection fee ₦10,000. Total: ₦100,000 + ₦27,000 + ₦10,000 = ₦137,000. Your own tariff, months and units will differ; ask for each figure on paper.
What the DisCo must do first
The order includes a standard operating procedure. Among its steps, the DisCo must:
- Identify suspect accounts from consumption anomalies or billing irregularities and analyse the data.
- Physically inspect and test the meter, capturing video and photo evidence in the presence of the customer or their representative.
- Keep detailed records, including test results and statements.
- Issue a disconnection notice once tampering or bypass is confirmed, and disconnect only after that notice.
The order also lets DisCos work with law enforcement, so a bypass finding is not only a billing matter. NERC's Customer Protection Regulations 2023 separately allow DisCo agents to inspect for tampering during routine postpaid meter readings (Regulation 63).
How to challenge a bypass finding
The bypass order itself does not set out an appeal route, so the general complaint route applies. Lodge a complaint with the DisCo's customer complaints unit; under the 2023 regulations this can be by phone, SMS, call centre or social media, but a written complaint with a reference number is easier to prove later. If you are not satisfied, take it to the NERC Forum Office and then to NERC. In a state that now has its own regulator, such as Enugu, the later steps go to the state commission. Our guide to complaining to your DisCo and escalating to NERC has the steps.
- Ask for the photos, video and test report.
- Ask how the back-billing period and units were worked out.
- Check whether the charge matches your meter type and phase in Table 1.
- Pay under protest if you need power back while the complaint runs, and keep every receipt.
Common situations
Tenants are often caught by a bypass done by a previous occupant or a landlord's electrician. The order charges the customer on the account, so raise the history with the DisCo at once and with your landlord in writing. Shops that share a building with homes face the same risk when someone runs a cable around the meter to power a freezer or a pump.
Another common case is a faulty meter. A meter that has stopped recording, or a token that will not load, is not a bypass, and the order's procedure asks the DisCo to test the meter's integrity before concluding anything. If your meter is faulty, report it in writing before an inspection team arrives, keep the report reference, and use it if a bypass finding follows. Never open the meter seal or move the meter yourself; even well-meant repairs can look like tampering. If you moved in recently, see who owns the meter and the debt when you move.
Where Pryme fits
Bypass cases are a DisCo and regulator matter, but a clean payment trail helps any dispute. Buying tokens through Pryme electricity payments keeps a dated record of each purchase, and you can generate a statement or receipt through VerifyDoc.ai receipts to attach to a complaint.
Questions people ask
How much is the bypass fine in Nigeria?
NERC/2024/148 sets ₦100,000 for a first single-phase residential offence and ₦200,000 for three-phase, plus back-billing at your tariff and a reconnection fee.
What is the NERC reconnection fee after bypass?
₦10,000 for non-maximum-demand customers and ₦50,000 for MD customers, on top of the administrative charge.
How long does the DisCo have to reconnect me after I pay?
48 hours. If it misses that, the order entitles you to an energy credit of 100% of your daily consumption.
Can I challenge a meter bypass charge?
Yes. Complain to the DisCo's complaints unit, then the NERC Forum Office, then NERC, or your state regulator where one has taken over.
Sources
- NERC: Amended Order on Unauthorised Access, Meter Tampering and By-Pass, NERC/2024/148 (effective 22 Jan 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- Mondaq: Highlights of NERC's Customer Protection Regulations 2023 (29 May 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- NERC: Metering factsheet (13 Oct 2026) · 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.