The Management of Kaduna Electric has debunked what it called insinuations from a section of its customers that a flat rate of N1,800 has been fixed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) as monthly payment for electricity used by Residential and Commercial customers.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had two days ago issued an order barring the 11 Distribution Companies (DisCos) from charging residential customers above an average of N1,800 monthly until they are metered.
NERC, in an Order 197 signed by its Chairman, Prof. James Momoh and the Commissioner, Legal, Licencing and Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye, NERC said the new order repeals the 2012 estimated billing regulation effective since last Thursday.
The regulatory body also said electricity consumers have grown from five million in 2012 to over 10 million by December 2019. But about 52 percent of them are not metered and are placed on estimated billing by the DisCos.
It said the Meter Assets Provider (MAP) was initiated to increase the metering of consumers within three years. Adding that, “The Estimated Billing Methodology Regulation is hereby repealed and shall cease to have effect as a basis for computing the consumption of unmetered customers in NESI,”
It added: “All unmetered residential and commercial customers shall not be invoiced for the consumption of energy if they are not metered by April. R2 customers cannot be billed for more than the worth of 78 kilowatt hour (kwh) of energy monthly which is about N1,800. Residents that consume less than 50kwh will be billed at N4 per kwh and a maximum of N200 monthly. All other customers on higher tariff classes must be metered by DisCos by 30 April 2020.”
Meanwhile, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company in a statement issued by its Head of Corporate Communication, Abdulazeez Abdullah, claimed the order of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission putting a cap on estimated billing did not imply that all Residential and Commercial customers shall pay a uniform rate, rather, the order stipulated different rates for different locations.
Kaduna DISCO argued that, the NERC’s capping was essentially to accelerate the metering of customers in the Residential and Commercial categories.
The company stated that, the capping as directed by NERC varies from one location to another within the company’s four franchise states of Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi.
It however urged customers who have not been metered yet to immediately apply for a meter which are available under the Meter Asset Provider scheme.
The company’s spokesman however reminded pointed out that, customers should be aware that as the NERC order equally mandated that, customers who refuse to be metered shall have their power supply disconnected.