No Plans to Hike Electricity Tariff by 100%, say NERC, Discos

The acting chief executive officer of the Nigerian Energy Regulatory Commission Dr. Anthony I.B. Akah

· Distributors to wind down CAPMI

If assurances by the nation’s 11 electricity distribution companies (Discos) are anything to go by, Nigerians may not witness another increase in electricity tariff soon.

The Discos were responding to a report of a planned 100 per cent increase in electricity tariff.In another development, the Discos have been directed to wind down Credited Advance Payment for Metering Initiative (CAPMI) in which customers pay for meters.

CAPMI was designed by NERC as an optional alternative for customers who are willing to advance money to their distribution companies for speedy installation of prepayment meters.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has raised hopes for improved electric power supply The corporation, which acknowledged the difficulties Nigerians are having getting public power supply, said it will restore the previous level of supply of gas to thermal plants by the time it completes repair of vandalised gas-pipelines by September.

In a reaction to the story about another purported increase, the Director, Research and Advocacy for the Association of Nigeria Electricity Distributors (ANED), Sunday Oduntan, a lawyer, said there were no such proposals to NERC from his members.

He told The Guardian: “Discos have will not submit proposals for upward review. The story is not true. Minor reviews are not done by Discos. It is from NERC.

“We are finding it difficult collecting our money from consumers from the review in February. Why should we request for another review now? I don’t know why anybody would want to blackmail us with such report.”Also, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has said it is not pushing for any increase in electricity tariff.

AEDC said it did not write to NERC nor did it mandate anybody to write on its behalf demanding any increase.The CAPMI scheme which Discos have been directed to wind down, was designed to allow willing customers advance money to their distribution company in exchange for the installation of meters. Customers are then refunded for the cost of the meter by way of monthly reductions on the fixed charge element of their electricity bills over time But many Discos are reported to be hiding under this scheme not to provide free meters to consumers.

In a communique issue yesterday at the end of the seventh monthly meeting of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing with operators of the sector, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola stressed that the directive was to ensure that customers do not unnecessarily bear the cost of installing meters.

“The meeting also noted that consumers need to be protected from estimated billing, through Discos completing metering according to their plans, “the communique noted.

The meeting, held at the Benin Transmission Station, Edo State, regretted the occurrence of an electrical accident in Lugbe area of the Federal Capital Territory which resulted in injuries and loss of lives and sympathised with the communities affected and called for full investigation into the accident by Abuja Electricity Distribution Company.