From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Following the directive by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to reduce the electricity tariff for Band A customers from N225 kilowatts per hour to N206.80 kilowatts per hour, most of the electricity distribution companies (DisCos), including Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC) have complied.
In a statement, Head, Corporate Communications of KEDC, Abdullazeez Abdullahi said that the review which was effective from May 6, 2024, also affects post-paid customers on that band, assuring its customers of 20 hours to 24 hours of electricity supply a day as stipulated in the Service -based tariff regime
Meanwhile, he said, tariff for Band A, B, C and E remains the same.
Recall that on April 3, 2024, NERC approved an increase in electricity tariff for customers under the Band A category to N225 per kwh — from N66 per kwh. The commission said customers under the classification are those who receive 20 hours of electricity supply daily.
But the increase attracted so much anger among Nigerians, especially coming in the midst of hunger and starvation.
The Managing Director (MD), Idfon Power Engineering Consultants (iPEC) Limited and former Chief Technical Officer of FGN Power Company, Engineer Idowu Oyebanjo said that if Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is increasing power based on regular supply of electricity, how would it monitor when a customer who’s supposed to have 20 hours does not get less?
“It’s meant for just only a few people who are on Band A. The only challenge I have there is, how do you ensure that those customers get 20-hour supply? There are things the distribution companies can do to ensure reliable and safe supply and we can help them to achieve this.
“How do you monitor that a customer who’s supposed to have 20 hours does not get only five hours in a day? How do you make sure that he doesn’t pay for estimated darkness?” he asked
A mini grid developer, Foluso Alabi argued that the increase is overdue, insisting that Nigerians will not get a regular supply of electricity with low tariff
He said that the current tariff (N66/kilowatt), has not been cost reflective, adding that the power supply value chain has not been profitable.
“The power generation and supply have not been profitable in Nigeria. Tariff initially has been subsidised by government. To be fair, it has not been cost-reflective in terms of generation, transmission and distribution. You’ll find out that the distribution companies (DisCos) have not been profitable” be said