PREPARE TO PAY MORE FOR ELECTRICITY, FG TELLS NIGERIANS

There are indications that Nigerians will pay more for electricity starting from first week of September, 2021.

NAN reports that the development, already designed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) under the Service Based Tariff (SBT) programme will take effect from September first.

The SBT came into force last year, increasing cost of electricity by over 50 per cent as government attempts to halt subsidy in the electricity sector and allow the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) generate enough fund to finance the bed-ridden market.

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Although criticisms have dogged the service based tariff as improvement in electricity supply remained dismal with perpetual outages and collapse of transmission and distribution infrastructure, some distribution companies already informed consumers that a new tariff would be implemented next week.

A document from the Eko Electricity Distribution Company, dated 25 August 2021 with reference number 023/EKEDP/GMCLR/0025/2021 shows that the tariff would increase between N42.44 to 58.94 depending on their class. The tariff is implemented to remain till December before further increase in January next.

Across the band, the increase remained N2 from the tariff paid between July to August.

“This is to officially notify you that there will be an increase in electricity tariff with effect from 1st September 2021. This increase is as a result of nationwide mandate to implement the Service Based Tariff approved by our regulator NERC,” Eko DisCo wrote in the document signed by the company’s General Manager, Loss Reduction, Olumide Anthony-Jerome.