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The short answer
NERC's bypass order (NERC/2024/148) sets a reconnection fee of ₦10,000 for non-maximum-demand customers and ₦50,000 for MD customers after a bypass or tampering finding, and requires reconnection within 48 hours of payment. For a disconnection that breaches NERC's rules, the Customer Protection Regulations 2023 compensate you in energy credits. Any other reconnection charge should be shown to you in writing with its basis.
Two situations, two sets of rules
Reconnection costs depend on why you were cut off. NERC has a fixed table for one situation, disconnection after unauthorised access, tampering or bypass. For disconnection over unpaid bills, the sources we checked do not set a NERC reconnection fee figure, so a DisCo charging one should be able to show its basis.
After a bypass or tampering finding
NERC's Amended Order on Unauthorised Access, Meter Tampering and By-Pass, NERC/2024/148, effective 22 January 2025, sets the charges in three tables:
| Charge | Non-MD customers | MD customers |
|---|---|---|
| Reconnection fee (Table 2) | ₦10,000 | ₦50,000 |
| Administrative charge, first offence (Table 1) | ₦100,000 single-phase; ₦200,000 three-phase | 450% of last authorised monthly consumption |
| Administrative charge, repeat (Table 1) | ₦150,000 single-phase; ₦300,000 three-phase | 600% of last authorised monthly consumption |
| Late reconnection (Table 3) | Energy credit of 100% of daily consumption | Same |
The reconnection fee is payable on top of the administrative charge and any back-billing. The DisCo must reconnect within 48 hours of payment. If it does not, or if the disconnection was not justified, it owes you an energy credit equal to 100% of your daily consumption. The full rules are in our guide to meter bypass penalties.
Worked example (illustrative)
Example only: a household normally uses 8 kWh a day. It pays the bypass charges on Monday at 9am, and the DisCo does not reconnect until Thursday at 9am, 72 hours later and one day beyond the 48-hour limit. On the order's Table 3, one late day earns 100% × 8 kWh = 8 kWh of credit. If each extra day counts, two days late would be 16 kWh; ask the DisCo how it applies the table.
After disconnection for non-payment
NERC's Customer Protection Regulations 2023 and its payment and disconnection guidelines, as summarised by Mondaq, set out when a DisCo may disconnect:
- Bills must reach you at least 10 days before the payment date (Regulation 20(2)(b)).
- Disconnection for non-payment may come two working days after the payment date (Regulation 20(2)(c)).
- The disconnection notice must include the address and phone number of the DisCo's reconnection team (Regulation 24(1)(d)).
- A customer with a payment arrangement or a registered life-support need should not be disconnected, according to the guidelines summary.
- Disconnection in breach of the regulations is compensated in energy credits (Regulation 26).
If you were disconnected for a debt and have paid, contact the reconnection team named on the notice with your receipt. If the DisCo asks for a reconnection fee, ask it to state the fee and the instrument that allows it, in writing.
How to challenge an excess charge
- Get the demand in writing, with each charge listed separately.
- Compare the reconnection line with the order's ₦10,000 or ₦50,000 where bypass is alleged.
- If the disconnection itself broke the rules, claim energy credits under Regulation 26.
- Complain to the DisCo's complaints unit; phone, SMS, call centre and social media are allowed, but keep a written reference.
- Escalate to the NERC Forum Office, then NERC, or to your state regulator where one has taken over (see state electricity regulators).
What to keep
Most reconnection disputes are won or lost on paperwork. Keep the disconnection notice, which under Regulation 24(1)(d) should carry the reconnection team's address and phone number. Keep the bill or demand that led to it, every payment receipt with its time, and a note of when supply came back. With those, the 48-hour clock and any energy credit can be checked. Without them, it is your word against the DisCo's records.
If you believe the disconnection itself was wrong, for example because you had a payment arrangement or had not received the bill 10 days before the payment date, say so in the first complaint. A claim for energy credits under Regulation 26 is stronger when it is made at once.
Businesses and MD customers
For maximum-demand customers, the reconnection fee after a bypass finding is ₦50,000 and the administrative charge is a percentage of the last authorised monthly consumption, which for a factory or large shop can be large. MD customers should keep monthly consumption records, since that figure drives the charge and is the first thing to check in any demand.
Prepaid customers
Prepaid customers are rarely disconnected for debt, because supply stops when units run out. Reconnection fees therefore come up mostly after bypass findings or meter faults. If your supply stopped and you have units, it may be a fault or a token problem; see token not loading.
Where Pryme fits
Paying a disputed bill or reconnection charge through Pryme electricity payments gives you a dated record, and a verifiable statement from VerifyDoc.ai receipts can be attached to a complaint.
Questions people ask
How much is reconnection fee for NEPA light?
After a bypass finding, NERC's order sets ₦10,000 for non-MD and ₦50,000 for MD customers. For other disconnections, ask the DisCo to state any fee and its basis in writing.
How long should DisCo take to reconnect me after payment?
Within 48 hours of payment under NERC/2024/148, with an energy credit if it is late.
Can DisCo disconnect me without notice?
Generally a notice is required, but Regulation 21(1)(c) allows disconnection without notice where meter access fails.
What compensation do I get for wrong disconnection?
Energy credits under Regulation 26 of NERC's Customer Protection Regulations 2023.
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
- Mondaq (Alliance Law Firm): Summary of NERC's guidelines for payment and disconnection (31 Jul 2023) · accessed Oct 2026
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