Business
Electricity Tariff Cut Not For Residential Consumers – NERC
The Nigerian Electric
ity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has declared that most residential customers would not enjoy the benefits of the recent cut in electricity tariff.
According to the commission, most residential electricity consumers in the RI and R2 categories did not experience any increase in tariff when electricity rates were hiked on January 1, 2015.
It said the increase on the first day of the year only affected industrial commercial and high-end residential consumers stressing that most people in the RI and R2 categories would begin to pay increased tariffs from July 1, 2015.
The Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, gave the clarification at a meeting with members of the Electricity Consumers Association of Nigeria.
“Majority of the residential customers in the RI and R2 categories did not experience the January 1, 2015 increase in tariff.
“They will not also see any reversal or reduction in tariff as the industrial, commercial and high-end residential consumers whose tariff were increased as it was a reduction based on the impact collection losses had on the tariff”, he said.
NERC had two weeks ago announced the reduction in tariff by 50 per cent following what it called, “bombardment of complaints” from customers who decried the increase that was announced earlier in the year.
Amadi stated that the tariff reduction for the industrial, commercial and high-end residential electricity consumers (R3 consumers) would become effective from this month.
“We have always tried to listen to complaints from consumers and operators alike and we carry out tariff reviews when necessary.
“We are a responsive and accountable regulator,” he said.
According to the NERC boss, the reduction in tariff was a decision reached in line with the commission’s business rules after consideration was given to protests from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, (MAN) on the implication of the January 1,2015 increase in their businesses.
He stressed that NERC took the action because it saw that there was merit in0 the argument put forward by MAN that the increase would impact their businesses.