‘Why new tenants ‘ll no longer pay old NEPA bills’

By Florence kalu

A Court has recently ruled that the bills of a previous tenant cannot be enforced on a new customer as was the order before now in the country.

In a recent clarification made by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission(NERC), it stated that the outstanding electricity bills of a an apartment are not to be enforced on new tenants by the landlord.

Shatti

Nathan Shatti, NERC Commissioner for Finance and Management Services, made the disclosure at a live programme on “meters and metering” recently.

Making the disclosure at the programme streamed live by on NERC social media platforms, Shatti explained that there is existing court judgment barring the imposition of landlords’ outstanding bills on new tenants.

He therefore directed new tenants who are asked to pay such outstanding bills of their landlords to contact the NERC.

“Landlord’s outstanding electricity bills cannot be enforced on a tenant. A judge recently ruled that the bills of a previous tenant cannot be enforced on a new customer. Send us details if you are in such a situation,” he said.

New tenants in houses in the country are always asked to carry the outstanding electricity bills in their new apartments which warrants Distribution Companies disconnecting such homes and families from power

Shatti further stated that there was also a court order criminalising actions contrary to capping policy in the country.

Capping according to him, means that Distribution Companies cannot charge unmetered customers more than they charge metered customers in any neighbourhood.