# The NERC steps that actually get your DisCo complaint answered > Ikeja Electric has apologised for missing the 20-hour Band A minimum, but an apology is not a refund. Here is how to complain to your DisCo, the NERC Forum and NERC itself. Business · Binatec Pulse · David Banjo · Published 2026-11-10T08:45:42.000Z · Updated 2026-11-10T08:04:40Z Canonical: https://pulse.binatecagency.com/business/how-to-complain-disco-nerc-band-a-shortfall-nigeria ## Key points - NERC's procedure has three stages: your DisCo's Customer Complaints Unit, a NERC Forum office, then NERC headquarters. - File the first complaint in writing and get an acknowledgement, because you may need it later. - The DisCo is expected to resolve a complaint within 15 working days, depending on complexity. - An earlier NERC directive on Band A shortfalls covered February and March 2026 only; it does not automatically cover November. If your DisCo supplies you less light than it promised, you are allowed to complain, and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has a set procedure for it. The question is how to follow it so that your complaint does not disappear. This guide sets out the official steps as published by NERC on the date below, and what they do and do not promise. The trigger this week: Ikeja Electric [apologised on its X account on Thursday 5 November 2026](https://techeconomy.ng/netizens-react-as-ikeja-electric-apologises-to-band-a-customers-over-failure-to-deliver-20-hours-of-power) to customers on some Band A feeders for falling short of the 20-hour daily minimum on 3 and 4 November. According to Techeconomy, the notice did not name the causes, outline fixes or say whether affected customers would be compensated. Techeconomy also cites a report that the company issued seven such apologies between 27 October and 4 November. ## How do you file a complaint against your DisCo in Nigeria? NERC's [complaints and redress procedure](https://nerc.gov.ng/faq/complaints-and-redress-procedure/) has three stages, and you are expected to take them in order. Last checked: 10 November 2026. ## Step 1: Write to your DisCo's Customer Complaints Unit File a written complaint at the nearest Customer Complaints Unit (CCU) of your distribution company. NERC says to make sure you get an acknowledgement, because it may be needed if the matter goes further. Keep a copy of everything: your account or meter number, the dates and hours of the outage, your feeder name if you know it, and what you want the DisCo to do. NERC says the DisCo is expected to resolve the complaint within 15 working days, depending on how complex it is. Put the date of your filing at the top of your letter and count from there. ## Step 2: Take it to the NERC Forum office If the CCU's answer does not satisfy you, or the DisCo takes longer than the regulatory timeframe, go to the nearest NERC Forum office. [The Forum](https://nerc.gov.ng/forum-offices/) was set up by the Commission under the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005 to hear appeals from decisions of the CCUs. NERC lists the offices, with phone numbers and emails, on its Forum offices page; for example, the page shows an Abuja office (abujaforum@nerc.gov.ng) and a Port Harcourt office (phforum@nerc.gov.ng). Check the page for the office that covers your state, since contacts can change. Legit.ng, in a [step-by-step guide published on 22 July 2026](https://www.legit.ng/business-economy/energy/1720180-step-by-step-guide-filing-a-complaint-disco-nerc/), reports that the Forum acknowledges appeals within three working days of receipt and decides within ten days whether to accept the appeal for a hearing, and that appeals found frivolous, vexatious or without sufficient merit can be dismissed. That detail is from the Legit.ng report rather than NERC's FAQ page, so confirm it with the Forum office. NERC's FAQ also covers people with no Forum office nearby: send a formal letter with supporting documents, or an email, to the Forum Office. ## Step 3: Escalate to NERC headquarters If you are unhappy with the Forum's resolution, send the complaint details to NERC's head office. NERC says it will review the complaint, including the processes followed by the DisCo and the Forum, to reach a final decision. Contact details are on NERC's [contact page](https://nerc.gov.ng/contact-nerc). Legit.ng lists a ticket portal (nerc.freshdesk.com), the email complaints@nerc.gov.ng and two phone lines, 02013444331 and 09088999244; verify them on nerc.gov.ng before you use them. ## Can you claim compensation for a Band A shortfall? Not automatically. Band A customers are those who are supposed to get a minimum of 20 hours of supply a day. NERC has in the past ordered DisCos to compensate affected Band A customers. According to Techeconomy, NERC Directive No. NERC/2026/002, issued in June 2026, covered generation-related shortfalls between February and March 2026, provided electricity token credits for prepaid customers and bill adjustments for postpaid customers, and barred DisCos from using those credits to offset debts. Techeconomy says the report does not state that this directive applies to the November shortfall, and Ikeja Electric's notice did not mention compensation. So do not assume you are owed credit. Ask for it in your complaint, cite your feeder and the dates, and let the DisCo or NERC tell you in writing what applies. An earlier order, reported by [ICIR in May 2025](https://www.icirnigeria.org/nerc-orders-9-discos-to-compensate-band-a-customers-over-power-supply-failures/), required nine DisCos to compensate Band A customers on 152 feeders for shortfalls in April 2025, paid through electricity credit or by improving supply. Those orders show the regulator can act, but each covers a defined period and set of feeders. ## What if your state has its own electricity regulator? Some states now run their own electricity regulators. If your state does, your complaint may belong with that regulator rather than NERC, so ask your DisCo's CCU in writing which body has jurisdiction over your account and confirm it on the regulator's own website. ## What should be in your complaint? - Your name, address, account number and meter number. - Your DisCo, feeder and band, if you know them. - The dates and approximate hours without power. - A copy or screenshot of the DisCo's apology notice, if one covers your feeder. - What you are asking for: an explanation, a fix, or credit. - The acknowledgement from the CCU, if you are escalating. Disconnection for non-payment follows a different rule: NERC says the DisCo must follow its Customer Protection Regulations 2023. Meter tampering should be reported to your nearest DisCo service centre or its whistleblower line. Nothing here is legal advice, and procedures change. NERC's own pages are the source to trust, so check them before you file. ## Questions people are asking ### Where do I first complain about my DisCo? At the nearest Customer Complaints Unit of your distribution company, in writing. Ask for an acknowledgement, which NERC says may be needed if you escalate. ### How long does a DisCo have to resolve a complaint? NERC says it is expected to resolve it within 15 working days, depending on complexity. ### What if my DisCo does not solve it? Take it to the nearest NERC Forum office, and if you are unhappy with the Forum's resolution, to NERC headquarters. ### Will I get compensation for Band A outages? Not automatically. NERC has ordered compensation for specific periods and feeders, such as February and March 2026 under Directive NERC/2026/002, according to Techeconomy. Ask in your complaint. ## Sources 1. [Complaints and Redress Procedure](https://nerc.gov.ng/faq/complaints-and-redress-procedure/), NERC 2. [NERC Forum offices](https://nerc.gov.ng/forum-offices/), NERC 3. [Contact NERC](https://nerc.gov.ng/contact-nerc), NERC 4. [Netizens react as Ikeja Electric apologises to Band A customers over failure to deliver 20 hours of power](https://techeconomy.ng/netizens-react-as-ikeja-electric-apologises-to-band-a-customers-over-failure-to-deliver-20-hours-of-power), Techeconomy 5. [Step-by-step guide: how to file a complaint against your DisCo with NERC](https://www.legit.ng/business-economy/energy/1720180-step-by-step-guide-filing-a-complaint-disco-nerc/), Legit.ng 6. [NERC orders 9 DisCos to compensate Band A customers over power supply failures](https://www.icirnigeria.org/nerc-orders-9-discos-to-compensate-band-a-customers-over-power-supply-failures/), ICIR