The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, told Nigerians not to pay the newly introduced electricity tariff if they don’t receive the required hours of electricity supply corresponding to their payment bands.
He made this statement during a Senate Committee on Power investigative hearing on Monday, where the Minister clarified the government’s stance on the recent tariff hike.
According to Adelabu, customers on Band A, who are supposed to receive 20 hours of electricity daily, should not pay the new tariff if they don’t get the promised supply. He further assured that the government is working to rescue the struggling electricity sector and assured citizens that the current difficulties are temporary.
The Minister also revealed that the Federal Government would need to subsidize electricity with N2.9 trillion this year if the tariff wasn’t reviewed. This move aims to save the sector from drowning, he explained.
The Senate Committee, chaired by Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, raised questions about the migration of customers from previous classes (Residential, Commercial, and Demand) to the new band system. Abaribe sought clarification on whether the band classification follows legal provisions and how the parameters differentiate between regions and areas, citing the need for non-discriminatory distribution as stated in the Act.
This development comes after the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) increased electricity tariffs for Band A customers from N68/KWh to N225/KWh. Customers in this band are expected to receive 20-24 hours of electricity supply daily, while those in Band B get 16-20 hours, and Band C receive 12-16 hours.
