The Federal Government and electricity consumers may be at loggerheads over a 54 per cent increase in the cost of electricity meters which takes effect today.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), in a circular to all the 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos), announced a 32.8 per cent and 21.7 per cent increase in the cost of electricity meters.
In the circular, NERC increased the price of a single-phase meter from the current cost of N44,896.17 to a revised price of N58,661.69. This was despite the fact that the price of a three-phase metre had been raised from N82,855.19 to N109,684.36.
According to Nigeria Consumer Protection Network President Kunle Olubiyo, consumers were not contacted before the rise.
Mr Olubiyo, a member of the Presidential Adhoc Committee on Review of Power Tariff, also said the concept of government subsidising electricity metres for DisCos further drains government revenue.
“Do you know people are even paying more than the approved rates for meters in this country? Consumers, constantly slammed with estimated billing, are ready to pay a premium in order to get meters. With this increase, this will further impoverish Nigerians. It is only in the urban centres that you get meters for free,” Mr Olubiyo said.
He criticised the difficulty in getting the regulator to address the recent rise, adding the regulator is usually evasive.
The consumer advocate claimed the regulator’s activities are opaque and that it rarely engages the public or consumers in policy choices.
