GOOD NEWS: PHCN, NERC Removes Fixed Charges On Electricity Bills In Nigeria

This is a goodnews to Nigerians because before now, citizens where meant and forced to pay for energy (electricity) they didn't use. Can you imagine someone given a bill of more than N5000 for electricity he used only four hours in a whole month. That is outrageous so the body in charge of this  regulation, the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) have today made

statement on removal of the fixed charges that consumers are charged with every month including those that actually used the electrical energy and those that didn't.

I think this is a welcome development if they should keep to their world and maintain this because not every house have an electric meter.

In a public statement released by chairman of NERC, Sam Amadi, today December 21st, 2015. The chairman stated below

“Although, the new tariff regimes comes with an increase in energy charges, all electricity consumers (residential as well as commercial) will no longer pay fixed charges, so their total bills will depend on the electricity they actually consume and may be reduced when they conserve electricity. This is in line with NERC’s mandate to be fair in all its regulatory interventions. Consumers will no longer be spending money every month to pay for fixed charges even when they do not receive electricity in their homes and business. The objective of the new tariff is to enable prudent consumers to save money on electricity bill as they can now control their consumption and not pay monthly fixed charges. For instance, residential customer classification (R2) in Abuja Electricity Distribution Company will no longer pay N702.00 fixed charge every month. Their energy charge will increase by N9.60. Also, residential customers (R2 customers) in Eko and Ikeja electricity distribution areas will no longer pay N750. 00 fixed charges. They will be getting N10 and N8 increase respectively in their energy charges. Similarly, the burden of N800.00 and N750.00 fixed charges would be lifted off the shoulders of Kaduna and Benin electricity consumers. These consumers will see an increase of N11.05 and N9.26 respectively in their energy charges. The new tariff is also good news for commercial consumers For example, commercial customers’ classification C2 in Ibadan and Enugu will no longer pay fixed charges of N17, 010. 00 and N22, 141. 00. Their energy charge will increase by N12.08 and N13.35 respectively. In line with the transparent disposition to its operations full details of the new tariff regime would be advertised in major national dailies and commission website within the next 24 hours.” 

according to the statement.

I hope it happens exactly as planned. Let it not be another political statement that we are used to.