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Electricity distribution companies (DisCos), on Monday, June 26, backtracked on their earlier announcement of a tariff hike projected to take effect from July 1, 2023.
The DisCos noted that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is yet to approve the hike.
Recall that various public notices from some of the DisCos, on Sunday, June 25, stated that the electricity tariff would be raised by about 30 to 40 percent for selected categories of consumers on July 1, 2023.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), in a public service announcement issued on Sunday, said that, “Effective from July 1, 2023, please be informed that there will be an upward review to the electricity tariff influenced by the fluctuating exchange rate.
“Under the MYTO (Multi Year Tariff Order) 2022 guidelines, the previously set exchange rate of N441/$1 may now be revised to approximately N750/$1 which will have an impact on the tariffs associated with your electricity consumption.”
However, some DisCos including AEDC, in another notice issued to customers on Monday, asked its customers to disregard the planned tariff increase as approval for such an increment had not been received.
The DisCo noted that, “Please disregard the circulating communication, regarding the review of electricity tariffs.
“Be informed that no approval for such increments has been received. We regret any inconvenience.”
Meanwhile, a senior official in NERC, on Monday evening, confirmed that the regulator had not given the DisCos approval to announce the hike in tariffs.
In addition, a former spokesperson of the AEDC and seasoned expert in the sector, Olabode Fadipe, while speaking on the development, said that, “NERC never publishes any position or makes any official statement.
“It is the DisCos that does that. Once the DisCos receive approval from NERC, they effect the adjustment straightaway.
“DisCos perhaps got approval for July 1 and chose to put their customers on notice only to be told that their action was hasty.
“That end users have been told to ignore the message does not mean that the increase won’t be affected,” he added.
The assistant manager of communications, NERC, Mary Anavhe, while speaking on the development, also dismissed an imminent increase in electricity tariff.
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