A week after the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) announced the reduction of electricity tariff for band A customers to N206 per kilowatt hour from N225, customers under the franchise of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), the Ikeja Electric and Eko Electricity Distribution Company as well as the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC), have complained of being charged the old rate.
The franchise areas of the Discos cover 9 states, namely; Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Lagos and Abuja.
Recall that NERC had in April raised the price of electricity for Band A customers from an average of N68 to N225, but the price was further reduced to N206 due to the appreciation of the Naira.
All the Discos across the country adjusted their tariff the same day the increment was announced by the NERC.
However, Daily Trust Investigation reveals that despite the latest reduction, Band A customers across various states are still being charged the old rate.
Mr Aliyu, a Band A customer of AEDC who resides in Gwarimpa area of Abuja Municipal Area Council bought N10,000 worth of electricity and was credited with 45 units amounting to N225 /kwh, which is the old rate.
Similarly, another customer in the Jabi area of Abuja also got 4.5 units for N1,000 worth of power purchased which was charged at N225/kwh.
Prompted by the development, Daily Trust expanded its investigation to Lagos, Kaduna and Jos, where selected band A customers were meant to recharge their meters and all revealed that the rates have not been adjusted.
A band A customer on Kano Road in Kaduna was credited with 4.5 kWh for N1,000 recharge.
In Lagos, there has been an unending complaint from electricity consumers on Band A over the units supplied to them by the Ikeja Electric and Eko Electricity Distribution Company.
For instance, a consumer told our correspondent that he bought N20,000 worth of power and he was given just 67 units, saying this was far less than what the disco should have given him.
Another customer in Ikoyi got 90 units for N20,000, whereas with the reduction in tariff from N225/KWh to 206.80, a user should get 97 units for N20,000.
“Even before the reduction in tariffs, we were getting 42 units for N10,000 and 84 units for N20,000. I can’t explain what’s happening,” a resident of Ivienagbor Ojodu in Lagos said.
“From the look of things, it appears the distribution company has not adjusted to the new rate but how do you explain this situation when you are getting far less than what you are paying for,” another affected consumer cried out.
NERC mum
When Daily Trust contacted the NERC’s General Manager on Public Affairs, Dr. Usman Arabi, he did not respond to phone calls and text messages sent to him.
However, a staff of the commission told our reporter that there are penalties for non-compliance of all regulations made at Discos but did not mention the particular penalty for late implementation of the new tariff.
When contacted for a remark, AEDC’s head of Branding and Corporate Communication, Mimi Angyu, also did not respond to calls or messages sent to her line.
Recall that AEDC was fined N200,000,000 for failure to comply with the prescribed customer band classifications for the tariff billing recently.
NERC explained that the fine underscored its commitment to protecting consumer rights and ensuring equitable practices within Nigeria’s electricity sector.
It enjoined power users to raise the alarm anytime they encountered such acts by Discos, stressing that it would ensure that such acts were dealt with accordingly.
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