Updated: Govt increases electricity tariff by over 300% for certain consumers

Updated: Govt increases electricity tariff by over 300% for certain consumers

 

The Federal Government has announced an over 300 per cent hike in electricity tariff for customers under the Band A classification.

Customers under the Band A are those enjoying uninterrupted supply of electricity for 20 hours daily.

The latest price increase came about two days after the cost of gas-to-power plants supplied to the electricity generating companies was increased.

Vice Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Musliu Oseni, on Wednesday announced the tariff hike at a press conference in Abuja.

Oseni said customers under the Band A classification would pay N225 per kilowatt (kW), starting from April 3 — up from N66.

Oseni said customers in the Band A represent a 15 per cent of the 12 million electricity customers in Nigeria.

He also said the commission had downgraded some customers from the Band A to Band B due to non-fulfilment of the required hours of electricity provided by the electricity distribution companies.

He said, “We currently have 800 feeders that are categorised as Band A, but it will now be reduced to under 500.

“This means that 17 per cent now qualify as Band A feeders. These feeders only service 15 per cent of total electricity customers connected to the feeders.

“The commission has issued an order which is titled April supplementary order and the commission allows a 235 kilowatt per hour.”