A call has been made by electricity consumers for the House of Representatives Joint Committees on Power, Commerce, Delegated Legislation and National Planning to conduct an audit on the tariffs paid to power distribution companies nationwide.
In a letter of commendation sent to the House of Representatives, the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre (ECPAC) urged for the audit after the reversal of the Band A tariff. The Executive Director of ECPAC, Princewill Okorie, along with affiliate organizations like the Association for Public Policy Analysis and the Electricity Safety Vanguard, praised the decision to reverse the tariff for the “unconstitutionally created Band A customers” of the DisCos.
Having participated in a public hearing on the Band A tariff hike, the group expressed satisfaction with the House of Representatives’ consideration of the welfare of Nigerians over business interests in the power sector. They hailed the House as true representatives of the people.
ECPAC pledged support to the House of Representatives Committee on Power in data collection efforts to determine the number of metered and unmetered electricity consumers, as well as the investments made by DisCos and governments in electricity infrastructure.
The group also urged for an audit on payments to DisCos by both metered and unmetered consumers in urban and rural areas. They emphasized the importance of data for informed decision-making in the power sector.
Following the House’s directive to reverse the tariff hike for Band A customers, the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and DisCos were tasked to implement the changes immediately. The NERC, however, expressed unawareness of this resolution.
Band A customers are currently paying about N209 per kilowatt-hour following the subsidy removal, a cost deemed unaffordable by many Nigerians.