‘Customers’ Can Now Pay N4 For Electricity — DisCos Begin New Service-Based Electricity Tariff

The electricity distribution companies (DisCos) has commenced implementation of the new electricity tariff

Earlier, President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the implementation of the proposed cost-reflective energy tariff for the Nigerian electricity supply industry (NESI).

Also, residential areas classified as “poor” were to be exempted.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) also directed DisCos to maintain the life-line tariff of N4 for all customers who are only using less than 50kWh of energy per month “as a safeguard for the less privileged members of the society”.

Following this development, Oyebode Fadipe, in a statement yesterday general manager of corporate communications at Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), noted that the firm has started implementing the new service reflective tariff plan (SRT) across its franchise area.

The Service Reflective Tariff (SRT) plan is a NERC mandated tariff structure whereby an upward increment in tariffs will result in substantially longer hours of power supply, good quality voltage profile, swifter response to faults clearing and provision of pre-paid meters,” Fadipe said

They further noted that customers on estimated billing would also not be affected as the president has ordered mass metering of consumers across the country.

The new tariff regime starts today, September 1, and it would be reviewed quarterly.

“The new tariff design proposes an upwardly adjusted tariff for customers who are not averse to paying more to enjoy longer hours of supply, standard voltage profile and faster fault clearance timelines.

“While we keep working at ensuring all classes of customers enjoy improved supply, customers who enjoy less than 12hrs of supply will not be affected by the new tariff plan. Hours of supply to this class of customers will also not be adversely affected by the implementation of the plan.”

According to the tariff schedule released by Kaduna Electric, service-based tariff approved by NERC will be implemented from September to December.