While Nigerians are returning back to work after the Christmas and New Year Holiday, they may have an extra bill to pay, according to the new report released by NERC.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission directed the 11 electricity distribution company (DISCOs) to increase its tariff from January 1, 2020.
The directive was contained in a statement published on its website dated December 31, 2019.
The NERC Chairman, James Momoh and the Secretary, DAfe Akpeneye signed the memo sent to the DisCos.
James Momoh, NERC chairman, and Dafe Akpeneye, its secretary, gave the directive in a memo sent to the DisCos.
According to the Memo, NERC reached the new tariff based on the data obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the US rate of inflation and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
According to the memo, “other orders issued on the subject matter, and shall take effect from 1st January 2020 and shall have effect on the issuance of a new Minor Review Order or an Extraordinary Tariff Review Order by the NERC.”
Details Of The New Tariff:
With the new tariff, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja tariff is increased from N27.20 per unit to N47.09, additional charge of N19.89.
In Lagos, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) consumers are to pay N36.92 per unit from N26.50. A difference of N10.42 per unit.
Commercial customers under
The NERC also increased the Industrial customers of the IKEDC D3 category from N25.82 per unit to N35.85 per unit.
In Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, residents (R3 category) who were struggling with N27.11 per unit in 2015 are now to pay N48.12 per unit.
“All DisCos are obligated to settle their market invoices in full as adjusted and netted off by the applicable tariff shortfall,” it read.
“In the determination for compliance to the minimum remittance threshold in this Order, the commission shall consider verified receivables from MDAs for the settlement period and DisCos’ historical collection efficiency for MDAs.
“The commission shall hold the TCN responsible for deviation from the economic dispatch Order that adversely impact on the base weighed average cost of the wholesale of energy.”
NERC last approved an upward review of tariff in July.
Meanwhile, the new minimum wage for workers have continued to generate reactions from the state government as only few states have complied.
With the new DisCos increment, it might be unjustified for the customers to pay more in many states where the minimum wages have remained the same.
The power supply has remained a misery as the national grid collapsed more than four times, causing a total blackout in the country in 2019.
