Written by
Ishioma Appiah-Yeboah
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has announced the commencement of the Net Billing Regulations 2026, a new framework that allows eligible electricity consumers to generate power from renewable energy sources and sell excess electricity to the national distribution network.
Under the new regulations, customers with solar photovoltaic systems can generate electricity for their own use and export surplus energy to their distribution companies under a net billing arrangement.
NERC says the initiative is aimed at promoting the adoption of renewable energy technologies, improving energy security and reliability, encouraging private sector investment in power generation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and supporting the integration of renewable energy into electricity distribution networks.
To qualify for the scheme, customers must be connected to a distribution company’s network, install approved renewable energy systems with capacities ranging from fifty kilowatts peak to one-point-five megawatts peak, obtain approval from their distribution company, and sign a Net Billing Agreement before registering with NERC.
The commission says approved participants will be provided with bidirectional meters to measure electricity imported from and exported to the grid, while surplus energy supplied to the network will be credited based on tariffs approved by the regulator.
Interested customers have been advised to apply to their distribution companies for technical feasibility assessments and further guidance on participation in the scheme.