By Abiola Olawale
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has announced the approval of an increase in electricity tariff for customers under the Band A classification.
This was announced by the Vice Chairman of NERC, Musliu Oseni, NERC vice-chairman, during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
Oseni said customers under the classification, who receive 20 hours of electricity supply daily, will now pay N225 per kilowatt (kW). According to him, only 15% of customers would be affected by this latest directive.
The directive will take effect from April 3, 2024.
The New Diplomat reports that the new electricity tariff rose three times from the present N66 per kilowatt.
He said: “The commission sat and reviewed further the application by the distribution companies and have decided that only the 17 percent feeders and less than 15 percent customers will be affected by any rate increase that the commission will ever approve for the DisCos,” Oseni said.
“Further to that, the commission has issued an order titled ‘April 2024 Supplementary Order’ which is supplementary to the order issued in December, effective January 2024.
“So, the April Supplementary order takes effect from today and in that order, the commission has approved a rate review of N225 per kilowatt-hour for just under 50 percent of the customer population in NESI.
“So that means that less than 15 percent of the customers will be affected. And I am sure you are aware of the number of customers we have in NESI. And these are the customers that are proven to be enjoying 20 hours of average hours of supply.”
