The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has insisted that the New Electricity Tariff will take effect from February 1, 2016 despite warnings by the House of Representatives.
On December 21 last year, the commission announced new tariffs payable by electricity consumers abolishing the fixed charges.
The House of Representatives decided that NERC should not embark on any upward review of the tariffs until it had concluded the probe of the power sector.
However in a statement on Wednesday, NERC said, “We wish to reiterate that the take-off date of the new electricity tariff (MYTO 2015) still remains February 1, 2016, and it is in view of this that the commission has told the distribution companies to abide by its directive not to connect new customers without first providing them meters.
“We wish to state that at no time did the commission change the date of the take-off of the new tariff.”
Acting Head of the commission Dr. Anthony Akah, explained that the removal of fixed charges “was in response to electricity consumers’ complaints and a measure to ensure that electricity distribution companies improve on service delivery as their income is dependent on the quantity of electricity used by their customers.
“NERC holds the National Assembly in high esteem and we are sure that both institutions are working to ensure that the national and consumer interests are protected.
“The new tariff order, aside from eliminating fixed charge, has a robust mechanism to ensure that electricity distribution companies fully meter their consumers and eliminate crazy billing within one year.”
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