The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has admitted that it reviewed electricity tariff in February, which resulted in increase in cost to some consumers.
The NERC promised last year to suspend any increase in electricity tariff until after it has concluded negotiations with labour unions in the country.
The admission came as energy crisis facing the country deepened with petrol queues returning to filling stations across the country and the national grid collapsing twice in 36 hours.
The Chairman of NERC, Mr. Sanusi Garba, said the minor review was conducted in line with Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO), which mandates tariff review every six months.
Garba said it was the duty of the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to inform their customers of such tariff review outcome and how the cost of electricity would be.
He blamed the continuing poor electricity supply and frequent grid collapses on vandalism of gas pipelines to power plants, plants maintenance and a trip on the 330KV line bringing power from Ughelli Power Plant.
According to him: “What happened on February 1 is a minor review of tariff. It is very clear on our website and in all our communications that every six months we will adjust rates to take care of the foreign exchange component of cost and also for inflation.
“This is absolutely a straight forward thing but even at that we do publish in newspapers that NERC is about to embark on a minor review to adjust some parameters and when the computation is done it goes into rates which we put on our website and the distribution companies have a responsibility to put it out to consumers.”
He said the government is working with operators to bring more generators on grid to fill the vacuum created by water shortage at the hydro plants.
National grid back but generation remains low
After witnessing two collapses in less than two days that left the country in total blackout, the electricity national grid again began a slow recovery on Wednesday.
As at 3pm Wednesday, seven power plants were generating a combined total of 1,365.00 megawatts.
Kainji Hydro topped with 391mw, followed Jebba Hydro with 337mw while Geregu (Gas) 267mw; Afam VI (gas and steam) 131mw; Omotosho NIPP (gas) 102.70mw; Olorunsogo (gas) 75.13mw; and Omotosho (gas) 61mw.